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rdilbarova said:
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Babs is one of the most beautiful hens I have ever seen!
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X2!!!
 
tweetr1979 said:
To make up for me hijacking the thread about my neighbour problems lol I thought i'd post some funny pics

I want this mat!!!!





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you so funny!!!!

**Lisa- I am so happy for you!! I know what it's like to wait...and wait.....waiting....hahhaa, You will love it!!. Every day that comes, you will learn something new!! And believe they all have different personalities!! I do agree with *nben*... I am only a newbie/beginner too so, take this for what it is worth...if you have chickens that are older, be careful, they can/ will be aggressive to little ones. Have read of people putting their little ones in with the big-girls too early only to have heart break and remember..quarentine...if they haven't been from the same place. If I may give you a suggestion...please look them over very well before you put them to bed/into the coop. If you can look them over when you get them..if it is possible. I am only saying this so you know if you are going to be dealing with any 'pests' from the start!
Look at their vents and under wings...especially the big-girls...if they have critters, you know you must keep them separate and you can treat right away. Handle them as much as you can so they get used to it. It might be harder-take longer with the older ones, but be patient..they will come around. The six week olds still need grower feed...at least that is what I have read, but other may know better..more experienced. I thought they had to be older to be put on layer feed... , free feeding egg shells or oyster shell in a cage cup is good. If they need it, they will eat it. I have a cage cup with egg shells I have cleaned and crushed for my birds. The layer eats them mostly..now the younger(8-9months) one is starting to go for it more often..it is a good sign she is getting closer to egg laying. Have a great time and GOOD LUCK!!! Expecting ALOT of pics!!!
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...come on Friday!!!!
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Hey, Hope that leg heals up!!
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...


I was on the Marans thread....trying to get a look at 'maybe' what these little ones are..
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.I am more confused than I was before...but I am learning about Marans now....hahha, I didn't see that one coming...
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... I will keep posting on their growing out, if anyone gets an idea of the sex of any of these babies, please feel free to say!!! I will take any "expertiseing" right now!! hahahah
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Have a good one all!! -Danielle
 
nbenevento said:
Congratulations on the birds coming Friday!

On another note, no, I do not agree with the person you are getting them from. The 6 week olds should not be getting layer feed. You would be better off feeding them all grower feed and putting a cup or something of oyster shell. Your chicks won't mess with it more than once and it will provide the layers with the calcium they need.

Also, are the 6 week old chicks ALREADY housed with these larger laying hens? If not, that will be an issue as well. 6 week olds are too small to be thrown in with adult hens unless they hatched them out or were previously adjusted to each other in some way. It could lead to death of the young ones if they can't defend themselves. I'm not trying to be a party pooper but I don't want to see a post from you written through tears on Saturday. Since I have been following your progress on the coop, I know that it probably is not large enough for that age difference to be together. This is all assuming that the 6 week olds are not abnormally large.

I hope all this helps. Good luck!
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These are the very concerns I raised as well.

I really could use your advice around this.

He said that since I don't have chickens already that the 4 new birds would find a way to live together much easier than if I was adding 6 wk olds to existing residents

He said they could eat layer pellet

I think the grower feed has more protein in it......
the layer feed / pellets has stuff in it to help with egg production

I can offer oyster shell separate ----that is not a problem ----as long as it doesn't harm the 6 wk olds.........

I was considering keeping the 6wk olds in the dog crate/cage inside the run area so that they could be close by but still with some protection..............but would that increase problems or???

I could add a board for a roof to the dog cage and a roosting bar..................but now I don't know what to believe.

I don't want any little birds getting severely hurt!

Please share you views................ I wish the seller was less controversial on this..............but he does raise quite a lot of chickens.....................
 
thank you guys!!!
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..Babs is the Partridge and Ginger is the Black laced- (BLR).....She is getting huge..and she has a ways to go...She is still a bit 'flighty', but if you have food..well, then she is right there! Miss Piggy should have been her name! haha
 
thanks little miss Purdy------------for all your feedback-----------------I will do the oyster shell free cup idea and buy grower feed

I think the only draw back is that the older hens might get too much protein------but that is not too bad..............I think.

I will look them over ..........as best I can

I hope I am not being taken advantage of ------------------since I am new at this.........................the guy seems reputable and sincere ---------------yet some stuff contradicts what I read here so I don't know

all 4 birds are from the same place--------------but have they been living together----I don't know.................

I did make my initial coop bigger by adding a back room--------------because I felt it was too small......................yet I hear you re: the age difference and potential for aggressive disputes.
 
LisaYolkUm said:
These are the very concerns I raised as well.

I really could use your advice around this.

He said that since I don't have chickens already that the 4 new birds would find a way to live together much easier than if I was adding 6 wk olds to existing residents

He said they could eat layer pellet

I think the grower feed has more protein in it......
the layer feed / pellets has stuff in it to help with egg production

I can offer oyster shell separate ----that is not a problem ----as long as it doesn't harm the 6 wk olds.........

I was considering keeping the 6wk olds in the dog crate/cage inside the run area so that they could be close by but still with some protection..............but would that increase problems or???

I could add a board for a roof to the dog cage and a roosting bar..................but now I don't know what to believe.

I don't want any little birds getting severely hurt!

Please share you views................ I wish the seller was less controversial on this..............but he does raise quite a lot of chickens.....................
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This is just what I am doing .... I have my 6 girls that will be 8 weeks old on the 8th Aug when I go and pick up 2 RSL's that are ready to lay, so I am guessing they are 15-16 weeks old (couldn't ask on the phone at the time as my 4yr old was running amok) so when I go get them I will be asking.

I will be quarantining the 2 new girls for a month, then and only then when that time is up, will I be introducing them to the younger girls in this thing
it was our ferret playpen and what I kept the chicks in as they got bigger, before they moved to the coop. It is good cause they will all be able to see each other but I can avoid (hopefully) anyone getting hurt until they are all used to each other & I can also move that blue bit to the top to stop the bigger girls from hopping out. When that finally happens I will move the older girls in with the younger girls.

I was thinking it will be ok to have them all on grower feed (switching younger ones to that at 8 weeks) and leave out some oyster shell for the older girls - any advice regarding that food thought for them all would be appreciated.
 
My iPad is acting up and won't let me quote. Anyway, when I introduced my silkies to my leghorns i put my silkies in a dog crate inside the run. Then when I felt they were ready I allowed them to free range together and then return to their separate areas when unsupervised. After two weeks I let them in the run together. The leghorns were still being aggressive so I only did it when I could supervise. Eventually they all got along. When I introduced the white rocks it went much smoother. Good luck!
 
LisaYolkUm said:
These are the very concerns I raised as well.

I really could use your advice around this.

He said that since I don't have chickens already that the 4 new birds would find a way to live together much easier than if I was adding 6 wk olds to existing residents

He said they could eat layer pellet

I think the grower feed has more protein in it......
the layer feed / pellets has stuff in it to help with egg production

I can offer oyster shell separate ----that is not a problem ----as long as it doesn't harm the 6 wk olds.........

I was considering keeping the 6wk olds in the dog crate/cage inside the run area so that they could be close by but still with some protection..............but would that increase problems or???

I could add a board for a roof to the dog cage and a roosting bar..................but now I don't know what to believe.

I don't want any little birds getting severely hurt!

Please share you views................ I wish the seller was less controversial on this..............but he does raise quite a lot of chickens.....................
Click to expand...


Feeding the young chicks layer feed is bad because it has a lot of calcium. Too much calcium at that young age can harm their bones and make them brittle. When you put out the oyster shell, the young ones will probably try it but then will leave it alone until they need it. The older birds will make up the difference in calcium by eating the oyster shell. They need the calcium to make the shell on the eggs which somewhat depletes the calcium in their bodies. Since the chicks aren't laying and probably won't until February, they won't eat it. Protein is good for chickens. Yes, too much of anything is bad but the grower feed wont hurt them. Bugs are full of protein!

Mixing the chicks with the hens may or may not be tricky. Your guy has a little bit of a point that they will all be in a new environment but that does not in any way guarantee the safety of the chicks. Chickens can be ruthless, heartless motherless souls that will kill when they feel like it. They may or may not feel like it. Since they are coming from the very same place, quarantining them for sickness is not necessary. Separating them for safety until they are similar size probably is. Chickens have their own personalities so I don't think anyone can predict exactly what will happen when they are put together. They will need to establish the pecking order so there will be pecking and a little fighting. Leave the older ones to it unless there is blood. At that point, they need to be separated and the wounds cleaned. You see, what will happen is, the younger ones will end up bleeding easier than the older birds. Once a chicken sees red (blood), they will continue to attack it. Chickens are attracted to the color red, hence the reason many feeders and waterers are red.

Overall, I still say, don't get one or the other ages unless you are prepared to keep them separated for a while. Hey, just my opinion on all of this. Everybody and nobody is an expert.
 

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