Giving away four rooster chicks. 5th is a pullet. Any way to keep her?

[prestoconfuoco]

Hi all,

Earlier today I posted on the gendering board because we were wondering about our easter egger (definitely male, it seems). We have two five-week olds - said easter egger, and a buff orpington, both most definitely roosters. Then we have three eight week olds - a light brahma bantam (almost certainly male), a silkie bantam (too young to tell, but potentially male based on behavior; I can post pics if anyone wants to take a stab at it), and finally, a buff brahma bantam (almost definitely a pullet with zero rooster signs).

The buff brahma bantam is one of the sweetest birds we've had, who is happy to be held and sit in your lap, etc. and is so much more well socialized than many members of our year-old flock were when they were chicks! My family loves her to pieces (we love all five of them) and we are very sad that we might have to give her away.

The good news is that we have a good home that will take all five, so that isn't a concern.

Currently, we have an approx. year old flock of 13 pullets. Because we can't have roosters, and since we're giving (at minimum) 4/5 away, we also have 4 one-day olds ordered from Meyer Hatchery to come in mid-August.

I know chickens are incredibly social creatures and I would never want to deprive one of that in any way that would harm them or be unkind. As far as I can tell there is no real way to integrate a 7/8 week old buff brahma bantam into a full flock of 13, and definitely not alone...and yet, if we kept and didn't integrate her, she would be on her own and very sad.

Are there any solutions here that anyone can think of to hang onto her? In the end, if we have to give her away, I'll be very sad, but I'll know she's going with her group to the new home, so that will be OK. She is just so sweet and I'd love to bring her into our flock if that's a possibility.

Thanks!

 

[hysop]

Are you 100% all the EEs are male before giving them away?

You can integrate the pullet with your older flock. Just let her be within sight but not let the older ones access to her to peck at. Within a week she may be able to be integrated.

 

[Mrs. K]

Well I am not sure what you are doing with the roosters, but is there a way they could wait two weeks? Then what I would do is put all the chicks in with the big girls in a safety zone, where the girls can see them but not get at them. I attach a dog carrier to this, and the chicks go in the carrier at night by themselves, I carry carrier to coop. Back in the morning. Then about 3-4 days, I lift up the fence away from the ground, just a few inches. It may take a bit, but I am betting those cheeky roosters chicks will be dancing out into the big world. Now the big girls may give them a peck or two, but they can escape back to safety.

Within a week, the flock should be over it. When you are confident that it is going well, send the roosters on their way.

It is better to add a lot of chicks, just spreads out the pecking. But afterwords, does not seem to bother anyone if birds just disappear.

Mrs K