New xhixjs

[varikia]

I have two hen. Who have just hatched one chick each, we lowered them to ground Level but the on hen began to attack the other so we had to separate them, can anyone give me some advice on what to do please?

 

[chooks4life]

Let the hens raise their chicks separately. Each hen's instincts will drive her to try to make sure all the food belongs to her chicks, so tolerating another hen with chicks is the exception rather than the rule, at least under caged circumstances. Some hens can learn to get along with some other hens but most hens will not.

If they're free ranging, still feed them separately, and cage them separately, and they should be fine. I made little cages about a cubic meter in size with a nesting box, shelter, water and food containers, some with perches, with their own lockable doors, which I move broody hens to. They free range in the daytime but put themselves back in their individual boxes at night, and this works better than forcing them to cohabitate with each other or the main flock. I don't put the cages near each other either. The metal shelving in fridges is ideal for this sort of makeshift construction. Scrap materials always seem to suffice. It takes about a week to bond them to their new cages though. You can also build little runs onto their cages if they can't free range. But separate cages are necessary.

Even if you've never built before, it's simple enough stuff to learn and will be very helpful to know.

Best wishes.

 

[Coopnana]

I have kept my hen and her chick away from the rest and have just now put the pen and nest back in the run in attempt to introduce them back into the flock. The hen is a GLW and the chick is 5 week old silkie. How will I know and at approx what age would be a good time to integrate them completely with the rest?