The votes are in and our new chickens have names! We'd like to introduce you to the Kiddie Science Lab flock! We had an amazing week becoming chicken experts! We began our exploration by learning more about what chickens eat, and preparing food for them. Chickens are omnivores. This means they eat fruits, vegetables, and meat. A lot of the food growing in our gardens goes right to our chickens. For meat, chickens love insects and freeze-dried mealworms are their favorites.
Chickens are birds, and one of their characteristics is feathers. We took a closer look at feathers using a microscope and magnifying lenses and learned about feather anatomy and function. Young scientists spent quality time with our chickens this week, including inside the aviary! We donned our shoe covers and gloves, and went inside. We received a tour of where and how the chickens live their lives. We saw where they lay their eggs and sleep at night. We also got to do some of the chicken care responsibilities. This was everyone's most favorite activity of the week! The new chicks are now twelve weeks old and are officially mingling with the hens. They've grown significantly in the last few weeks, and still have more growing to do! The chicks are still eating grower feed, which provides them with a bit more protein than what the adult chickens need. Their transition to adult feed will begin in the next five to six weeks and they should start laying eggs a few weeks after that. At their current age, the new chicks are still considered juveniles. Soon, they'll transition to being "teenage" chickens which are known as pullets. In the final adult stage, at roughly 5 to 6 months, is when they're officially referred to as hens (if a male chicken, then its a rooster). Our new chicks recently enjoyed their first day freely exploring the main aviary. The bigger hens were out foraging in the backyard during this time. At eight weeks old, they are almost half the size of the adult hens and still eating medicated chick feed, which is much higher in protein and contains medication to protect against parasites. It took them a bit to leave the enclosed run area, but once they did it seemed like they enjoyed the exploration time! Our bigger hens watched through the fencing and I eventually let them in one by one to meet the chicks under my direct supervision.
One June 10th, two new chicks joined our flock! Currently eight weeks old, the chicks are currently in transitional quarantine. The new chicks are significantly smaller than the adult hens, so they're being kept separately until they get bigger. This also allows for a slow introduction into the existing chicken pecking order.
The chicken pecking order is the social structure that exists within a group of chickens. It determines the social rank and dominance relationships among the individuals in the flock. The pecking order is established through pecking and aggressive behavior, with higher-ranking chickens having priority access to food, water, and preferred nesting spots. In our flock, Spicy Mildred is at the top of the pecking order. When a new chicken is introduced to an existing flock, there is a period of aggression to establish their place within the pecking order. Chickens higher in the hierarchy will peck, chase, or intimidate lower-ranking ones, establishing their dominance. With the tremendous size difference, this poses a safety risk for the new chicks. For a few more weeks, the dietary needs of the chicks and the laying hens will be different, and so its important to feed them separately and monitor the food intake. The adult hens and the chicks have their own separate water and food sources in addition to separate sleeping and hanging out areas. So far, the hens have been mildly curious about the new additions.
Our newest additions are different types than what we already have in our flock. New to the mix is a Buff Orpington and a Black Sex Link.
Buff Orpingtons are a breed of chicken known for their beautiful golden buff-colored feathers. They are bigger sized birds, known for their friendliness and fluffiness. They lay large brown eggs and are an excellent breed for northeastern winters. Black Sex Link chickens are a crossbreed between a barred or black rooster and a red hen. They are often known as Black Stars, Black Rocks, or Black Reds. The gender of Black Sex Link chicks can be determined by their feather color at hatch. Female chicks hatch with black feathers, whereas male chicks hatch with all red feathers.
Soon we'll need names for our new chicks!
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