all chicks ready to go outside but one! What to do!?! -UPDATE!!-

[greytmommy]

Ok, so our chicks are 6 wks old now. We would like to move them to the coop as soon as it is done (probably this week). Here is my problem.

Zero.

Zero is 6wks old, but TINY. She is surely snake food out there. she is about a 3rd the size of the other silkies. Here is the comparision shot of Zero against the 2 white silkies:

Should I move her outside with the others?? Should I keep her inside longer? Maybe with the other 2 silkies? If I do that, will there be problems when I try to reintroduce them to the flock? What do you think? She is just so tiny.............

 

[Judy]

Sorry, it's probably failure to thrive. Often they don't live long, but then sometimes they do. Sometimes the others warm and protect one like that, sometimes they end up attacking it. She will probably be warm enough outside as long as they group together like that.

Your choice, I'm afraid.

 

[GiddyMoon]

I am so sorry..I don't have advice either..maybe make her a small, safe run inside so she can we with them but have more protection? Weird, another person posted this yesterday..they have a chick just like this too.

 

[rhs7111]

Some chicks are (much) slower to develop than most; that doesn't mean she has a death sentence hanging over her head. Some chicks whom we think have "failure to thrive" eventually catch up to the others. I would keep the little one inside, but also keep inside with her the chick from your group who tends to be nicest to the little one. Is there a chick who tends to be kindest to the little one? Keep two inside. I would not put the little one outside yet, nor would I keep her inside all alone.

 

[greytmommy]

if I kept her inside with say the other 2 silkies...or even out barrd rock (they sleep together a lot) will there be problems when I try to reintroduce them back into the flock?

 

[mother o' chicks72]

definitely keep her inside until she's a bit more mature. if she's made it to 6 weeks she hopefully doesn't have failure to thrive and might just be a late bloomer.

 

[macadam8157]

Quote:
If its more than a day or so there will be some sparring to re-establish pecking order, so I'd be ready for that. Other than that I'm not sure.

 

[DAFox]

Keep the chick with another one that you will introduce to your Silkie flock. Yes, there might be a problem re-introducing them. Should you worry about it? Probably not. I have introduced several groups of older chicks to my Silkie flock. Nobody has drawn blood, yet.

Dale-Ann

 

[mother o' chicks72]

keep her and your rock who appears to be second smallest inside until she's feathered out.

 

[greytmommy]

I only have 3 silkies. My flock is mixed. We have a barrd rock (who is BIG, you are seeing the cuckoo maran in that pic w/ Zero), cochins, EEs, Marans....

so should I keep a chcik or 2 of similar size, or should I go with temperment? My sweetest chicks are the Barred Rock & my LF Cochin. But they are HUGE in comparison. Closest in size would be the other silkies. I could keep one of them in w/ her.

for reintroducting, out flock is about half bantam half full size. All are very docile breeds & calm birds. We have 1 bantam cochin we know is a roo, & have a suspecion of one white silkie that is a rooster (would put him out w/ the flock so the 2 roos stay together). So hopefully you are rigt & I won't have to worry about reintroducing them. Any tips for when I do reintroduce them?

I really hope she doesn't have afilure to thrive. She is feathering out nicely, & is sooooo spunky....just tiny. She throws herself in with the big gals to get treats! And she darts under them, & she is soooo fast!