Ask someone to describe an eight week old chick and most people will envisage a fluffy yellow creature in the nest having just broken out of an egg. Chickens, however, do advance in size incredibly quickly as they age and are usually fully grown and more the size we expect of a regular chicken by the age of three months. At eight weeks a chicken’s fur has given way to more advanced feathers though still not as thick as they will be when fully grown. Their wings are also not fully developed and appear to be thinner than those of an adult bird but in all other areas the chick will just have the appearance of a small adult.
At eight weeks of age the chicken is almost self sufficient and will no longer need to be kept inside and under a heat lamp if you have been raising it from birth. In fact, a young chicken is able to be put outside after only about four weeks, so after eight weeks this should not be an issue.
Eight weeks is a key period in the development of a chicken as it is not until this age that you are able to sex a bird if you are not aware already of its gender. How it looks is very much key as to whether the animal is a hen or a rooster. At eight weeks old the young male's comb will start to get redder in appearance and grow slightly faster than a young pullet. Pullet combs are generally a more yellow colour. Also around this time young males have longer legs, giving them a more upright posture. If you are still unsure of the sex, check the legs - if they are roosters they should have tiny bumps about a quarter of an inch up the leg, this is where the spur will grow in.
At eight weeks of age the chicken is almost self sufficient and will no longer need to be kept inside and under a heat lamp if you have been raising it from birth. In fact, a young chicken is able to be put outside after only about four weeks, so after eight weeks this should not be an issue.
Eight weeks is a key period in the development of a chicken as it is not until this age that you are able to sex a bird if you are not aware already of its gender. How it looks is very much key as to whether the animal is a hen or a rooster. At eight weeks old the young male's comb will start to get redder in appearance and grow slightly faster than a young pullet. Pullet combs are generally a more yellow colour. Also around this time young males have longer legs, giving them a more upright posture. If you are still unsure of the sex, check the legs - if they are roosters they should have tiny bumps about a quarter of an inch up the leg, this is where the spur will grow in.
