Please tell me what you think

[Lil'ChickFarm]

Ok, I have two nine week old RIR/EE mutts that are both hens.
Today I got two bantam wyandott silver lace hens and took my three little 7 week old boys to a farmer friend. They can't stay.

So I have four now and all hens. Goodie!!

BUT this week my silkie babies were due. I was planning on incorporating two or three of those if I get some hens.
Well my order did not make it due to heat and the Cackle factory rescheduled to Aug 12.
THat puts me two weeks away now.

Ok in 8 weeks, my silkies could be 6 weeks old and have some size to mix in.
The Rir/ee girls will be almost four months and the W.'s 7 months.
Can I put six week old silkies in with them???

The Wyandot girls are just the sweetest girls possible. They came from a home where they are raised by a young girl for fair projects and it was a really nice place that they were living at, so they have been given great care. I am going to adore them. Pictures coming up soon.
Of course they will need to adjust to my 9 week olds, but the coop is really big and they are all about the same size right now.
Tomorrow I will take them all out for some free range time and keep an eye on them all day.
Opinions please. I don't want to cancel my silkies. I was so looking forward to them. Thanks.

 

[saddina]

Ypu should be able to work this out. you'd want to do the slow interduction with them seperated by wire and intergrate over say 2 weeks time.

 

[Lil'ChickFarm]

Quote:
Thank you. Judging by your post numbers, you have good chicken experience and this really gives me hope. I will do it slowly, and I am so glad that I will be able to do it. I adore the silkies.

People say they can't handle heat well, but my coop is 4 x 8 and it has a big open window in the front for air (with chicken wire for protection) and then we are attaching another 4 x 4 section that will be insulated. That will have the laying boxes in it and in the winter a heat bulb for those that get cold.
There will also be a fenced in run area. I think they can all manage their different systems in this set up.
I just am concerned that silkies little fluffy feet will need washed often if they walk in poop.
I was thinking first to use sand as a substrate but wow they eat that stuff like it is food.
Right now I have straw in there and probably will experiment with deep shavings and see if that works better.
There is no NON messy way to keep them, is there?

 

[JodyJo]

I have a silkie and a silkie/cochin mix, both with feathered feet...I live in Colorado where the snow and mud will be here all winter...I am hoping they stay out of the muck, but if not I will deal with it!

I am trying to integrate 3 7 week olds with my 18 week olds...its a slow process, but I am determined to do it! Good Luck!

So far I have them in a cage inside the coop, the older ones stay out and free range all day, at night I scoop up the little ones and re cage them...I tried to mix them the other day, it started out ok, but then the older ones went after them, even the little silkie! So its not time yet...I will need to give them a place to hide when I do...its sad to watch, but I know there is a pecking order to establish.