hen chick info

[firem3]

I am new to chicks and hens. I adopted a dominic and 10 chicks from a cousin who is getting out of chickens. the chicks have been with her for around 2 weeks prior to me getting them. I have laying hens, can i seperate the chicks and the hen without her going crazy, and if not can she eat the starter/grower feed the chicks need?

 

[Davaroo]

I adopted a dominic and 10 chicks from a cousin. The chicks have been with her for around 2 weeks prior to me getting them.
I have laying hens, can I seperate the chicks and the hen without her going crazy, and if not can she eat the starter/grower feed the chicks need?
Yes, the hen and chicks can be separated. She won't go "crazy," as you fear. In fact, if it is your plan to put her in with the other layers, she is likely to have her hands full. As soon as she appears, the others will begin having at her, testing her. Providing she makes it through all that well, she will find a place in the social order and will forget about the chicks.

What did you plan to do with them, anyway?

If at all possible, I suggest you keep the brood with the hen until they have gotten their feathers. This will also let you give the new birds a quarantine period to watch and see if they have any diseases you dont know about. Just give them a little area of their own if you can.

 

[chickbea]

The hen can eat the chick food with no problem. My hen went right back to laying within a couple of weeks, even though all she was getting was chick food. I did hand-feed her some oyster shell when the babies were occupied elsewhere just to keep her calcium up.

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

Make sure you quarantine them for at least a month before introducing the hen to your flock!!!

By that time, you can separate the chicks from the hen, or if your flock has enough room, & are tolerant, you might be able to put them all together.


Jean

 

[firem3]

just a note on how I acquired the chicks, my cousin pulled a fast one. He said he would give me 2 of his good layers and would have them caged and ready when i got there, well he did and the 10 dominic mix chicks (that he forgot to mention) as well. ha ha to me.