Advice Please - Should I put chick with 4 month pullets

[Careta]

Hello Everybody,

I am a new chicken owner and loving it but so much to learn.

Our silkie turned out to be a rooster :-( so we are taking him back where we got him for the breeding pens.

The place has offered us either point-of-lay Isa Hen or our choice of Rhode Island Red, Araucana, Silkie, Pekin and Isa Brown chicks.

We have, at the moment, a little Silkie and an Australorp hen, both about four months. Can we put a chick in with them? Will they adopt it or are they too young? Or can we keep it in a brooder and introduce later.

I'm really not sure how this could work so any advice would be most appreciated.

What would you experts recommend we do?

Thanks.

 

[DAFox]

The Silkie might tolerate the chick which is not the same as mothering it. If it is a day old chick there is small chance it would make it. The Austalorp would likely kill it, and perhaps not on purpose. A single chick in a brooder is a very sad chick, so if you go that root get more than one.
If you are limited in the number of hens, then go with the POL Isa. Keep it isolated for at least a month because you don't know what diseases it might have -- even though you bought from there before. Then keep it separated from your others by a fence for a little while. It will cut down on the fighting when you do introduce them to each other.
Good luck,
Dale-Ann

 

[Careta]

Thanks DaFox. Good advice.

Do you think that if we got a couple of chicks and raised them by themselves for a couple of months they could go in with the older hens or would they all have to be full grown?

 

[Lbrad7]

I would never put a chick into a pen with 4 month old birds. I think it would be one dead chick. Wait until it is about 12 weeks old and give it a try. By then it should be big enough to handle some abuse but unless you have a larger run where the little one can get away, i would be very cautious.

Good luck!

 

[Pequena Bandada]

I'd get a few chicks (at least two) and raise them together, then introduce the two chicks when they're at least 12 weeks old. That way they'll be almost the same size as your adult hens and better able to defend themselves.

 

[Mrs. Feathers]

Quote:
This is a great idea then your little chick will have needed companionship. I would wait until they are at least 10-12 weeks(depending on your breeds and size). If they have the opportunity to see each through a run/fence/brooder other I find it goes easier although they will still go through the normal pecking order establishment.

I know people have had great success introducing them when they are roosting for the night. I have not tried this yet as I always seem to have too many to manage this (chicken math) but with 2 it might be a good way to do it.

 

[Mrs. Feathers]

oh.....
almost forgot

 

[Careta]

Thanks so much all! Really appreciate it. This is such a great place to get advice. I'm in Perth, Australlia and backyard chickens is a pretty rare thing! I'm loving it though!

Based on your advice I am thinking of getting a chick Araucana and Pekin. Arucana for the eggs and Pekin because they look like a nice pet. I'll raise them seperately and introduce later. I think that will work ok as my two hens are pretty placid so far. In fact my big Australorp is really scared of our tiny little Silkie roo.

I might start with supervised visits and then integrate them later...