7 Week Old Silkies

[xogeorgia]

Hello all! I'm a first time chicken owner, and I have a couple of questions that I'm really hoping someone will be able to help out with. I have 6 silkies in a fairly large brooder, correct temp, food and water is always full. They just turned 7 weeks old and don't appear to be fully feathered yet, so I'm waiting a week or so to move them out into their outdoor coop. I've heard 6 weeks, I've heard 8 weeks, but I'm just not sure the exact time to move them. Does anyone know? I live in Florida so it normally doesn't get below 50-60 right now. Today, I went to check on them, and one of the chicks was viciously attacking another. I mean full on pulling their feathers out ATTACKING, not just chest bumping or flying at each other. I immediately separated the bully, and when I put it back in, they immediately tried to attack that same chicken again. I separated it again as I'm scared it will kill the other. Does anyone know what could be causing this? What do I do if it won't stop attacking this one specific chicken? The rest of the flock doesn't pay any mind and aren't bullying one another. Any advice would be wonderful, as I'm trying my best but not everything can be found from a quick google search. Thank you so so much in advance!

 

[rosemarythyme]

They should be feathered enough to go out in your temperatures as long as you've wanted them off heat (sounds like the answer is no).

Photos or a more detailed description of your set up would help - given the age of the chicks I'm going to guess crowding and/or boredom could be contributing to the fighting, but without knowing what you're working with it's just a guess.

 

[Ridgerunner]

a fairly large brooder,

How large, in feet or inches? Overcrowding can cause behavior issues.

correct temp,

What temperature? Overheating might cause them to get cranky.

They just turned 7 weeks old and don't appear to be fully feathered yet, I've heard 6 weeks, I've heard 8 weeks, but I'm just not sure the exact time to move them. Does anyone know? I live in Florida so it normally doesn't get below 50-60 right now.

Most chicks are fully feathered at 4 weeks, some might go to 5 weeks. I haven't raised Silkies so I don't know what they look like at 7 weeks but I'd think they are feathered out enough. I've had chicks go through nights below freezing with no heat at 5-1/2 weeks. They were outside by 5 weeks but it just didn't get that cold. At your temperatures I'd have them out.

That said, just because they can di very well at those temperatures doesn't mean they have to be outside. As long as they have enough room and aren't too warm they can stay inside.

Does anyone know what could be causing this? What do I do if it won't stop attacking this one specific chicken?

I've had chickens develop a real hatred for another specific one but that was when they were 15 weeks and two cockerels in puberty. The attacker killed the other. I had a 2 week old chick kill a sibling, just pecked it's head and the other just stood there, letting it. The only thing I can suggest is give the as much room as you can and isolate them from each other.

 

[Pandang81]

Hello all! I'm a first time chicken owner, and I have a couple of questions that I'm really hoping someone will be able to help out with. I have 6 silkies in a fairly large brooder, correct temp, food and water is always full. They just turned 7 weeks old and don't appear to be fully feathered yet, so I'm waiting a week or so to move them out into their outdoor coop. I've heard 6 weeks, I've heard 8 weeks, but I'm just not sure the exact time to move them. Does anyone know? I live in Florida so it normally doesn't get below 50-60 right now. Today, I went to check on them, and one of the chicks was viciously attacking another. I mean full on pulling their feathers out ATTACKING, not just chest bumping or flying at each other. I immediately separated the bully, and when I put it back in, they immediately tried to attack that same chicken again. I separated it again as I'm scared it will kill the other. Does anyone know what could be causing this? What do I do if it won't stop attacking this one specific chicken? The rest of the flock doesn't pay any mind and aren't bullying one another. Any advice would be wonderful, as I'm trying my best but not everything can be found from a quick google search. Thank you so so much in advance!

Make sure you isolate the offender, not the offended. Otherwise if the one being picked on is kept isolated away from the rest of the flock it will continue to be picked on once reintroduced. Separate the mean one for at least a few days to a week or it won’t be enough time. Also if they aren’t fully feathered and temps are below 60 I’d prob keep them in at night but make sure you let them forage outdoors during the day so they aren’t crammed together all day causing behavior issues. In another 2 weeks they can probably go outside permanently.