rhondatalk
In the Brooder
New here to having BYC, and immediately fell in love with them. So after buying 10 baby chicks at 2 weeks old, we bought 5 more a few weeks later. Not sure when it's ok to introduce them into the larger pen.
My 10 chicks dwindled to 7 due to illnesses (*so sad*) and the remaining flock are currently 11 weeks old and consist of:
1 Ameraucana cockerel
2 Ameraucana hens
2 Silver Laced Wyandottes
1 Black Australorp
1 Buff Leghorn
Then I have in a separate pen the 5 smaller babies that are 7 weeks old and consist of:
1 white Silkie hen
1 EE/Ameraucana hen
1 Barred Rock (possibly a cockerel based on his large comb, not sure yet)
1 Rhode Island Red (also possibly a cockerel, but not sure yet)
1 Chocolate Orpington (again, possibly a cockerel, but not sure yet) and I think he/she is only 6 weeks old
We brought the EE and the BR into the big pen the other day, and the Ameraucana cockerel bit the EE's neck and pecked at her, and the lowest Ameraucana hen in the pecking order immediately went to pecking on the EE as well. Not too much attention was paid to the BR, but after a couple of minutes we went ahead and got them out of there...*too afraid*
Any advice on when is a good or better age to introduce the 2 groups?
OH! I also have a RIR that is laying already (not sure of her age) that just lost her pen-mate Saturday (a tough decision was made to cull her, as she was ill and miserable). Her pen is right up next to the large pen so they can see each other now. How soon can she go in with them. Do I have to wait until they are all on layer feed like the RIR is?
My 10 chicks dwindled to 7 due to illnesses (*so sad*) and the remaining flock are currently 11 weeks old and consist of:
1 Ameraucana cockerel
2 Ameraucana hens
2 Silver Laced Wyandottes
1 Black Australorp
1 Buff Leghorn
Then I have in a separate pen the 5 smaller babies that are 7 weeks old and consist of:
1 white Silkie hen
1 EE/Ameraucana hen
1 Barred Rock (possibly a cockerel based on his large comb, not sure yet)
1 Rhode Island Red (also possibly a cockerel, but not sure yet)
1 Chocolate Orpington (again, possibly a cockerel, but not sure yet) and I think he/she is only 6 weeks old
We brought the EE and the BR into the big pen the other day, and the Ameraucana cockerel bit the EE's neck and pecked at her, and the lowest Ameraucana hen in the pecking order immediately went to pecking on the EE as well. Not too much attention was paid to the BR, but after a couple of minutes we went ahead and got them out of there...*too afraid*
Any advice on when is a good or better age to introduce the 2 groups?
OH! I also have a RIR that is laying already (not sure of her age) that just lost her pen-mate Saturday (a tough decision was made to cull her, as she was ill and miserable). Her pen is right up next to the large pen so they can see each other now. How soon can she go in with them. Do I have to wait until they are all on layer feed like the RIR is?