[gracie]

After much discussion we moved the chicks into the coop last night, they are 4 1/2 weeks old. Last week they were moving away from their lamp so I turned it off, the next night they started roosting on top  of the box.
The coop has been insulated and double lined so is really protected and as it is high the ventilation at the top doesnt give them a draft.
We put them in last night and what a noise to start with. 5 of them stayed on the roost where we put them but one sat right at the back so muggings here had to crawl under the others (just imagining them all pooing on my head) to reach it to put it on the roost with the others. We went out an hour later and they were all still sitting where we put then and were very quiet.



I woke at 5.30 this  morning and was tempted to go and check them but i restrained myself and waited until 7 and  could just hear a happy cheep, with the odd little cluck as a couple have started to make a gentle rosey sound. 3 were walking about the coop and 3 were still on the roost. We opened their door and 3 came out, we waited and the other 3 still stayed on the roost for another 5 minutes. It will be interesting to see if they make any effort to go in their today themselves.

I tied a lettuce leaf to a piece of string and they didnt bother with the lettuce but have been playing tug of war with the string all morning, pulling the string to see how far it will go before it pings back. I also moved some logs I had put in there the other day and they had some lovely insects and had great fun attacking them.

[krystal]

they look lovely

[Casey76]

They do look sung in there

What are you going to do with the boy in the middle?

[gracie]

That's Mo, funny we have called him a he since we got him at a week old. I will try to get some individual photos later and post them for opinions. At present I think we definitely have 3 out of 6. My friend who provided the eggs will have any boys back to rear for table, I can keep them as long as I like. Am I best for all the chickens sakes to send them back as soon as practical.
My other friend had the other 6 chicks that were hatched at the same time and she only wants 2 girls so I can always have any extras that she has.
I would like to have 4 girls in the end.
As I don't really have anywhere else to keep more chickens if I bring them in, is there an age at the latest that I can just put them in together with no serious problems.
There are more chicks that were born a week ago so I could have girls from there if required, so they would be about 3 weeks younger than mine if I mixed them