Need Help on moving chicks out

[SweetLilRachy00]

Well, my silkies are too big for the brooder that I have them in. Time to kick 'em out!

DH says to just stick them in with the other chickens. (30 weeks or so) He says they won't kill them, but might peck at them. I have seen them peck them before. The roo objects (vocally) to them when they are all outside together. I am kinda scared to just stick them all out there together. I would like to divide our coop up somewhere, but not sure how. We might have to make another door and put in a wall.

Any suggestions. (Silkies are approx. 18 weeks old) There is a huge size difference too.

 

[brooster]

I was going to ask the same thing. When can i put my 10 week old with my 8 month olds? I wave i big roo, and i have a 10 week old roo. It has been quite cold outside, staying 40,30 and down to the 20s in the coop. When can i put the with the rest of the flock?

 

[Tuffoldhen]

18 week olds should be okay with the older adults but you need to have lots of room for them to get away from the pecking order that will occur...make sure you have extra feeders and waters for them as older chickens can starve the younger ones out from getting food and water...

Silkies have skulls that are quite easy damaged by pecking ...

I never put chickens younger than 16 or 17 weeks old in with older chickens....they need to be able to fend from themselves and have places to get away from older pecking birds..10 week olds would still need a heat lamp so not to chill....this is what works for my henhouse....

 

[SweetLilRachy00]

So, then should I wait longer or should I make another pen? I might just make another pen for them for during the days and bring them in at night I guess....

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Just make sure you watch that the older chickens are not totally being dominant...and there is room with extra food pans and waters......18 weeks is old enough but remember they are silkies

10 week olds in my opinion will not do well , still in need of heat lamps in cold weather and should be on a starter/grower/finisher and not an adult chicken feed..

 

[SweetLilRachy00]

"But just remember, they are silkies" means absolutely nothing to me. I know they are silkies...but I've never had silkies before. I don't know what that statement means. They are chickens.... ?

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I was referring to the silkies having skulls that can easy be damaged by older birds and need to have room to get away from them is all, just if they would start a pecking order...

You do know that Silkies don't fly and can't roost high like the other chickens right?

 

[luvzmybabz]

I am having my husband go out and take a picture. They are allowed together if I am out with them which is fairly often on a nice day. But I still have a heat lamp in there for the cooler weather and these chicks are 12 weeks tommorrow. Both of my roosters in that coop/run are cochins and have checked the chicks out but never caused any trouble yet I am a little worried about when the chick roo tries to get attitude but nothing so far I am glad they can see each other because I am hoping that when I totaly intergrate them it will make things easier. I had hubbie go out and take pictures so they are not that great but you can get the point. My hubbie friend explained what I should do and I had the wall put up by myself in a couple of hours, door came from curbside while out garagesaling. They also have a smaller run that is just for the chicks. The main coop is 8*12 flock part 8*8 and chick side 4 * 8

 

[SweetLilRachy00]

OK i desided on making the large coop, larger. I have to figure out a door to open and close for them and then i will just put the silkies in the 'original' coop for now. this way, it's divided by a fence, but they are all outside together. i was going to make a smaller pen for the silkies, but DH doesn't want to be seeing all the fencing and stuff. I'd much rather them free range, but we get poopies all over the front porch (And I run a business from home) so that makes it hard...

I am not happy with how the run has turned out, but i'll keep trying.

I did know that the silkies can't fly...but totally didn't think about them perching...i did put a little brick by the coop door, so they can hop to that and then hop in. I guess I'll be adding a wittle bitty perch for them....hmm...might see if i can make a top over it so they don't get pooped on from up above!

THANKS GUYS!

 

[Rocket Raley]

I have had no luck mixing group so I keep building more pens. My coop crew is a month older than my tractor team. When I let them all out to free range in the evenings, the coop crew stays on one side of the yard and the tractor team stays on the other. When they do run into each other, well the fight is on.

My cardboard crew is ready to go out side, so I'm in the process of building another pen and coop.