Mixing chicks with hens?

Date sort Score sort
Packie

Packie

In the Brooder
7 Years
Aug 29, 2012
17
0
32
Hey guys,
Can someone please let me know is it okay for a Silkie to hatch her eggs in a coop with more breeds in the coop and if so can you let me know what breeds would be safe for the Momma Silkie and her young chicks to be around :)
Thank you soo much,Packie!
 
Hello and welcome to BYC
frow.gif
I personally prefer to move the broody and her chicks to their own separate area as soon as they've all hatched. Sometimes the other chickens in the flock will attack and kill the new chicks. Unfortunately it happened to me
sad.png
Some members here have raised chicks together with the flock with no problems at all. I'd suggest keeping a close eye on the situation and have a backup plan in case you have problems (hopefully you won't) Try to keep the rest of the hens out of your Silkie's nest. What I do is close off the "broody box" and open it daily for a few minutes to give the broody time to go for a walk. I put a small water bowl within reach of the broody and feed her when she gets up.
Good luck with your hatch!
 
Welcome! I think that it really depends on the personality of the other flock members. Mine are fine with new chicks. I had a broody raise her chicks within the flock this year with no problem (totally free range, too), and I have a silkie sitting on some eggs for me right now, and her and the chicks will be staying with the flock. It helps that, even though my roo is young, he is very protective of the chicks. Also, my silkie hen is number two in the pecking order, and my other broody was number four. Still, there is always the chance of violence with new chicks. If you'd like to keep the hen and her chicks with the flock, perhaps get some pinless peepers for more aggressive hens? Or, if you feel more comfortable separating her, build her and the babies a small, predator proof area that they can live in till the chicks get a bit bigger. Make sure the other birds can see mama and her chicks though - you don't want them to 'forget' her and have to try to reintroduce her and her chicks to the flock when the time comes. Also, moving a broody on eggs can be risky - she may refuse to sit on the eggs in the new location. Maybe if you'd like to move her, block her in wherever she is now, and allow her to get off the nest to eat and drink once a day, until the babies hatch and then move her and her brood to the other area. It's really all dependent on what you yourself feel most comfortable with, and if you think you can trust your other birds around chicks. They may go after them, or they may not. I haven't had a problem yet, except for a peck here and there when the older birds say, "I'm dominant over you." Mom will also be fiercely protective of her babies - my broody went after any bird that so much as looked at her chicks at first. They all gave her and her babies a wide berth. Even my big male ducks.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom