HELP!!! Brooder w/ standards and bantams, chicks dying

[ChiknGordonBlu]

Ok, so last weekend my wife and I ended up getting 3 standards (1 Java 2 Blue Rock) and 6 bantams (3 polish and 3 silkies). Over the past 3 days I have had a polish and silkie chick die. I read on here that having bantams and standards in the same brooder is not too much of a problem as they are all very young about a week old. The two chicks that have died were perfectly fine the day before and then would all of a sudden just stop moving and it looked like they were paralyzed or something. Both passed after not being able to move and gasping for a couple hours. My big concern is, is this happening due to the standards maybe picking on them or stepping on them? We have done what we can but I have no idea what my next step should be. Would it be best to have them in separate brooders? Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[ChiknGordonBlu]

Any advice would be helpful. My wife just told me that one of the Blue Rock is pushing over the polish chicks and running over them. Makes me think that it may be the cause of the other 2 deaths. I am going to separate the standards and bantams when I get home tonight. Does anybody have any luck with flocks of both bantams and standards mixed together?

 

[Heffalump]

Any advice would be helpful. My wife just told me that one of the Blue Rock is pushing over the polish chicks and running over them. Makes me think that it may be the cause of the other 2 deaths. I am going to separate the standards and bantams when I get home tonight. Does anybody have any luck with flocks of both bantams and standards mixed together?

My main flock consists of 8 LF hens, a banty cochin rooster and 2 banty cochin hens. I've never had any issues. The banty hens aren't even the very bottom of the pecking order.

I hatched 4 banty polish chicks and 2 LF BO who are now 7 weeks old. They all got along together fine.

I don't know what's going on with your chicks but I would definitely separate off the bully chick for now and you can work on reintroducing them later when they're a bit more robust.

 

[ChiknGordonBlu]

My main flock consists of 8 LF hens, a banty cochin rooster and 2 banty cochin hens. I've never had any issues. The banty hens aren't even the very bottom of the pecking order.

I hatched 4 banty polish chicks and 2 LF BO who are now 7 weeks old. They all got along together fine.

I don't know what's going on with your chicks but I would definitely separate off the bully chick for now and you can work on reintroducing them later when they're a bit more robust.

OK, My wife and I have seen mixed reviews about a mixed flock like that. I am trying to determine if it's best to give them their own coop and run in the future. Thank you so much for the response, I will separate that chick when I get home tonight. My wife would probably break if she lost any more of her baby bantams. Sounds like a plan to let those bantams beef up a bit so they can hold their own. Thanks again, i'm hoping that we won't have any issues in the future.

 

[NNYchick]

Silkies and polish Breeds have vaulted skulls, like a babies soft spot. So this can be a problem if they are in with bigger more dominant breeds. A peck on the head is likely to cause a brain injury.

 

[Matzwd]

I too have a mixed flock, with 11 LF and 18 bantams. There are silkies and polish among them. I have always brooded together without problems. If you have an extra aggressive LF in there, I suppose it could make a difference.

 

[ChiknGordonBlu]

My main flock consists of 8 LF hens, a banty cochin rooster and 2 banty cochin hens. I've never had any issues. The banty hens aren't even the very bottom of the pecking order.

I hatched 4 banty polish chicks and 2 LF BO who are now 7 weeks old. They all got along together fine.

I don't know what's going on with your chicks but I would definitely separate off the bully chick for now and you can work on reintroducing them later when they're a bit more robust.

Yeah we separated the chicks now, put the LF together and bantams together. Gave them clear bins so they can still see each other. I'm hoping that they will all get along fine in the future but I dont know if my wife is willing to take the risk.

 

[ChiknGordonBlu]

I too have a mixed flock, with 11 LF and 18 bantams. There are silkies and polish among them. I have always brooded together without problems. If you have an extra aggressive LF in there, I suppose it could make a difference.

I observed for a bit when I got home last night before separating them. I don't think it was any malicious aggression, but rather a chick learning to fly a bit and landing on the others.

 

[ChiknGordonBlu]

Silkies and polish Breeds have vaulted skulls, like a babies soft spot. So this can be a problem if they are in with bigger more dominant breeds. A peck on the head is likely to cause a brain injury.

That is what we are afraid of, that's why we had to separate them. Isnt there something to put on their head that deters pecking? A lotion or spray, something that makes it taste bad?