My first bantam chicks!!!

[ChickenWhisperer101]

BTW Japanese bantam



BB red Old English bantam


Blue Bantam Cochin


White silkie


Partridge? Silkie


Blue Silkie


Golden Neck d’ Uccle


Millie fleur d’ Uccle


Golden Sebright


Silver Sebright

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

All these pictures are from today

 

[NatJ]

My silkie chicks are pretty big, along with my d’ Uccles and Cochin bantam, but my sebrights, Japanese bantam and Old English bantam chicks are a pretty noticeable amount smaller! Is this just a breed thing?

It's partly a breed thing.

The chick can only grow to a certain size because of the eggshell.
So the smaller ones hatched from smaller eggs.
Some breeds do tend to lay smaller eggs than others.
Usually smaller hens lay smaller eggs, but some hens lay eggs that are larger or smaller than you would expect from their body size.

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

Thanks!

It's partly a breed thing.

The chick can only grow to a certain size because of the eggshell.
So the smaller ones hatched from smaller eggs.
Some breeds do tend to lay smaller eggs than others.
Usually smaller hens lay smaller eggs, but some hens lay eggs that are larger or smaller than you would expect from their body size.

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

I have 10 bantams, as seen above, and I also have 2 polish chicks that are 2 days older than the bantams but are the same size. They get pushed around a lot by the big chicks they are with and I was wondering if I should move them with the bantams so they don’t get hurt. I know polish get around 4 pounds but I don’t know about the other bantams. Both polish are pullets (young hens) so they will be smaller as adults. Should I move them with the bantams or leave them with the big chicks?

 

[NatJ]

I have 10 bantams, as seen above, and I also have 2 polish chicks that are 2 days older than the bantams but are the same size. They get pushed around a lot by the big chicks they are with and I was wondering if I should move them with the bantams so they don’t get hurt. I know polish get around 4 pounds but I don’t know about the other bantams. Both polish are pullets (young hens) so they will be smaller as adults. Should I move them with the bantams or leave them with the big chicks?

Putting the Polish in with the bantams sounds like a good idea, both now (since they are so close in age and size) and when they grow up.

For as young as they are, you can probably just put the Polish in the brooder with the bantams without any introduction (much easier than integrating older chickens!)

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

Putting the Polish in with the bantams sounds like a good idea, both now (since they are so close in age and size) and when they grow up.

For as young as they are, you can probably just put the Polish in the brooder with the bantams without any introduction (much easier than integrating older chickens!)

Yes! I think I’m going to tomorrow. They are only 5 and 7 days old so it’s perfect!

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

Putting the Polish in with the bantams sounds like a good idea, both now (since they are so close in age and size) and when they grow up.

For as young as they are, you can probably just put the Polish in the brooder with the bantams without any introduction (much easier than integrating older chickens!)

I moved the polish with the bantams this morning and they are so much happier now. I probably need to get them a dust bath soon as they are starting to try and bath in the pine shavings. I already have the other chicks dust baths and they LOVE them! Now I just need to give all of them roosts because I can tell they are dying for roosts.

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

Does anyone know about how big each of these breeds get? I’m trying to figure out if I need to get sure shock poultry fencing for the bantams, or if I can keep my other fencing. My past silkies could fit through the regular fencing at 12 weeks old (they didn’t care if it shocked them) and they would run around the yard. I’m probably going to order sure shock anyways just to be safe. Not really sure yet. When should they go outside? It’s about 90-100 degrees outside during the day and probably 80 at night. I will be clipping their wings when they are old enough. Thanks for any help.

 

[NatJ]

I’m trying to figure out if I need to get sure shock poultry fencing for the bantams, or if I can keep my other fencing. My past silkies could fit through the regular fencing at 12 weeks old (they didn’t care if it shocked them) and they would run around the yard. I’m probably going to order sure shock anyways just to be safe.

Maybe get hardware cloth or chicken wire that has smaller holes. Since the shock fencing did not work with your 12 week silkie bantams, I would not expect it to work with your current bantams either.

When should they go outside? It’s about 90-100 degrees outside during the day and probably 80 at night.

When outside is the same temperature as their brooder, they can go out.
Remember that baby chicks need access to a warm place (maybe in the sunlight) and a cool place (shade.) They also need to be protected from predators.

With those temperatures, your chicks could probably go outside in the daytime right away. And they won't need to be very many weeks old before they can be out at night too, especially as the nights will probably be getting even warmer as the summer goes on.