Chicken Help Line

[Some0ne848]

Hey
so I am getting a 1.5 month old silkie tomorrow. and I have 3 hens that are 5 months old. my new silkie silkie won't be eating the laying pellets like my other. is there a way to make sure the silkie eats her food and not the pellets. and make sure the hens don't eat the chicks food?

will my hens know to just eat the pellets and the silkie know to just eat its usual food??

 

[sumi]

The only way to make sure the silkie doesn't eat the layer feed and the older hens won't eat the silkie's feed would be to feed them separately, which you would at first. The silkie will need to be kept separate from the older chickens, ideally quarantined for a month, to make sure she is "clean" and won't introduce any pests or diseases to your flock. Once she's passed the quarantine period she can move in with the big girls, but should ideally be kept in a separate area in the coop and/or run from where she can interact with the older hens without them being able to physically get to and bully her. Keep her there until she's around 4-5 months old before letting her mingle with the older hens.

 

[Some0ne848]

ok thanks. thanks so much!!

 

[Some0ne848]

are the hens and chick able to sleep and be In the same run as each other?? but closed off from the others

 

[Some0ne848]

the chick will be about 1.5-2 months

 

[All Henned Up]

No you will have to keep them separated for some time to prevent bullying from the older chickens.

 

[sumi]

No you will have to keep them separated for some time to prevent bullying from the older chickens.

X2

There will most likely be some bullying when you eventually let the silkie mingle with the older hens, but giving them time to get to know her (and her them) beforehand and giving her time to grow up, will make it easier for her to handle and she will be more readably accepted by the older hens. If you put her in with them now, as 1.5 month-old chick and a stranger at that she will most likely get severely bullied and attacked, possibly injured or even killed.

 

[delisha]

She is two months old now, by the time her quarantine is over she will be three months old.
For additional safety, I put one of the established birds in with the new girl in the quarantine pen for the last week. They usually bond enough that they become buddy's. You will find out if the new bird is a carrier of any disease and the new bird will get some additional needed bacteria from the established bird before introduction. Introduction goes a bit better with an established buddy.

 

[Some0ne848]

my hens have been hand racist by me sincetheyvwere less than 1 week old. so they ate very friendly. will they still bully the chick?

and when u mean sepetate do you mean completely different areas or can still be near by. so they can peck through the fence between each other (eye to eye)

 

[delisha]

my hens have been hand racist by me sincetheyvwere less than 1 week old. so they ate very friendly. will they still bully the chick?

and when u mean sepetate do you mean completely different areas or can still be near by. so they can peck through the fence between each other (eye to eye)

you need a whole entire area away from your flock. They say football field length away.
Mine is not so far. It is probably 100 feet, but, I ware different cloths and shoes between coops.
Pecking order is normal behavior. It does not matter how friendly they are to you. They are chickens. They act and behave like chickens to each other. Some call it bullying, I call it normal pecking order behavior.
Adding one chick is hard on the chick. it is always best to raise at least two together. It is always a possibility your established flock may never accept the new single addition.

You can feed your whole flock chick feed and give the laying hens added calcium with oyster shells. I also add grit. I have several hundred chickens and they are on fermented feed from day old to 7 years old. They all eat the same feed.