i want to keep them all

[missfitfarm]

i have 5 new silkie chicks and id like to keep them all i do not know who is a hen and who is a rooster but i want them all is it possible to raise them together and keep them all or will i have to seperate the boys from the girls? and if i have multiple roosters can they live together if i raise them together?

 

[Frozen Feathers]

It depends on how many roos you end up with. Certainly if you have 4 roos and 1 hen, you're just asking for trouble and I feel bad for the hen! If they are raised together roos will generally get along fairly well. If you end up with more then one roo, I'd separate, or at least give breaks to your girls. 1 roo and 4 hens is perfect though(that's what my Silkie "ratio" is

) and hopefully that's what you'll end up with...good luck!!

 

[missfitfarm]

i was thinking i would seperate them accordinly anyway i just wanted to make sure i could keep them all right now my silkie rooster is penned with my bantam hen because the free ranging hens do not like him one bit and my banty loves him it seemed that the two were happy together but i guess he shouldnt be penned with just one hen correct? is it to much for her to be alone in there with him? as soon as the chicks are a little older i was planning on putting them all together if i can

 

[Frozen Feathers]

My concern would be more then one rooster with a single hen...because the roosters will take turns, ummm you know...with the hen, but for a pair, a hen and roo, to get chicks, that's fine.

 

[missfitfarm]

thats good to know because the pair really do like to be together i just wanted to make sure it wouldnt be hurting her to keep them paired up as i said my 2 free range hens do not like the rooster one bit the banty used to free range with the big girls because they were raised together but when i got my rooster she would just sit by his pen and coo at him so i let her in and they love it so keeping them together all the time is ok? right now she is in a seperate pen with her babies and he misses her how soon can i put the pair and the babies together? do you think he will hurt the chicks? they are only a week old?