When to add em..hhmmmmm

[Justino]

When is it ok for me to add my 4 9week old EE chicks to my 3 silkie pullets, BR hen, EE hen, RIR hen, and Ausie hen?

Theyre gettin pretty big and are as big as the silkies--if not bigger!-- and already free range with the big girls just dont stay in the same coop together.....

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I think they would be fine to add if they are near the same size. I mean, it is not like Silkies are notorious for being aggressive.

Put them together. It would probably help the order of things later on if they get it straightened out now.

-Kim

 

[MissPrissy]

9 weeks is too young. The bigger hens BR and RIR and Aus can do some serious damage to them physically. They can kill them outright or prolong it by starving them out.

They need to be near the same size as the BR and RIR and Aus or closer to 16 weeks before they can defend themselves from the attcks that come from the shake up int he pecking order.

You and the chickens would be better served to wait several more weeks before turning them out together.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Oops, misread the original post.

Follow MissPrissy's advice.

I thought that the older birds were only Silkies. Please disregard my original reply.

-Kim

 

[Justino]

Quote:
ok well im gonna keep em out in our yard together because the chicks just stay clear of the big ones but ill wait to keep em together in da coop

 

[mhoward92]

9 weeks is too young. The bigger hens BR and RIR and Aus can do some serious damage to them physically. They can kill them outright or prolong it by starving them out.

They need to be near the same size as the BR and RIR and Aus or closer to 16 weeks before they can defend themselves from the attcks that come from the shake up int he pecking order.

You and the chickens would be better served to wait several more weeks before turning them out together.

Well, she's right on that. But you can approach the situation two different ways. If you want to get to the statistics Missprissy is right. But only you know your birds and their personalities. I have introduced birds as young as 4 weeks old to grown hens and have had NO problems what so ever. The hens took them into their arms and mothered them. But on the other hand sometimes the hens try to KILL them. It all depends on your birds. I have introduced birds the same age to each other and they fight 24/7 and other times they love each other. Theres really no telling. We can only sit behind a computer screen and type the statistics because we don't know the circumstances and your birds as well as you do.

Just throwin in my 2 cents​