is 4 weeks too young?

[meditativerose]

Quote:
If they're in the coop and run with the hens, how do we keep their feed apart? Won't the little ones get curious about the "big girl food" and try it? We can put the baby feeder out there, but I don't know they'll stick to it. So...how do other people do it? And for how long?

 

[ragerkid2]

I have read up on this and they said to just switch everyone to flock raiser and apparently it is OK for the babies to eat, where egg laying feed is a huge NO-NO

 

[Azriel]

If you put 4 1/2 week old chicks with the adult hens the hens will most likley kill them. You will need to put up a pen of their own in the coop so the big girls can get used to them, but can't get to them.

 

[ajay]

My chicks are 4 weeks and I can't see keeping them inside much longer. They grew a ton over this past week and are now feathered except for their heads. They were outside all day today and when I brought them in, they were so unbelievably mad.

Good grief, I didn't know they had it in them to chirp that loudly!

 

[LadyWoodsong]

Quote:
If they're in the coop and run with the hens, how do we keep their feed apart? Won't the little ones get curious about the "big girl food" and try it? We can put the baby feeder out there, but I don't know they'll stick to it. So...how do other people do it? And for how long?

What I did was fed chick feed to the whole flock and then had crushed oyster shell in a separate feeder so the full-grown chickens could self-supplement as they need. Seems to be working for us.

 

[nicoletm24]

I put mine out very early, especially now when the weather is nice

I can't have the dust and dirt, bc of athsma issues.

But I have them in their own little cage. So that way nothing can get to them. And will wait about 6=8 wks before putting them in with the big hens. But, it seems no matter how long I wait to move them in with the big hens, they still give them one heck of a hazing process LOL

 

[silkie101]

ok good its hot here in florida so when i get my chicks there probly going to be around thee days old to 1week old so can they go outside or no? oh and they are going to be silkies

 

[Heathero617]

well, they're out again today after 2 days of storms. Still not sure >I'M< ready to leave them out all night. I might tho, i leave Friday am for a while and it would just make it easier on my house/pet sitter to deal with although i think my dad is going to deal with the birds for me.