Silkie chicks - when can they go outside? And can I reintroduce dad?

[DrChickenKev]

Hi

We've just had our first batch of 4 baby silkies hatch out with mum, unfortunately the other 13 (yes, thirteen!) eggs were either unfertile or early/mid range deaths.

So they are ten days old today and have been in a rabbit hutch in a shed with mum since hatching. Jees, the smell...!

And apart from the chicks constantly walking in their shallow water trays, or water trays with marbles, mum scratching the straw into the food and water, mum pooping just about anywhere, and the smell, as mentioned, all is going well, so...

Qu. 1) Can I put dad in with them in the shed??

Qu. 2) When can they all go into an outside run (either with/without dad)??

Thanks in advance

Kev

 

[djennings]

Will it be just mum, kids, and dad together? If so they can go out to coop Dad's actually take care of chicks better than mum did. I put my blue silkie mum out with her 5 with dad and he was so sweet to them. You will have to make sure at night that all go in coop with mum.

 

[DrChickenKev]

Excellent, thanks for the quick reply.

I was thinking of putting dad in the shed with mum and chicks...

Or I could put them altogether in an outside hutch/house and run so they have a little 'run' of grass, but at ten days just no sure of the weather, although they will all go back into the rabbit hutch if outside (or possibly keep that inside the shed) at night anyway??

 

[DrChickenKev]

Bump for anymore thoughts or advice from anyone, would be greatly appreciated...