hold on... this may get complicated...
I had a perfect flock. A couple of americaunas, orpingtons and one adorable banty (black silkie) A friend made me an offer I couldn't refuse and took my older girls (3year olds this year) because they wanted instant eggs and didn't want to bother with the baby chick stage. So I have ordered new chicks to be picked up on june 3. I kept my little black silkie because she is a pet... and my daughter loves her... She is kept in a smaller coop but is basically alone. (I have 2 free rangers who visit her sometimes) She gets very broody and you can almost set a clock by her. She will lay 7 adorable little eggs and then sit for 2 weeks (clockwork)
my questions...
if I got a couple of chicks now (just straight run babies from the farm/garden store) How likely is it that she would accept them? Do I need to wait until she has layed her 7 eggs and then sneak them in? any suggestions?
I will have 3 sets of chickens in different stages if my plan were to work out... I have the "sister wives" who free range, then if my banty agrees to adopt 2 more I would let them be free range and then if this worked out I would HOPE that she would accept a new group when my new chicks arrive in june...
or would I just be very sad watching her try and run off the babies?
she is fairly territorial with the free range girls... she gets a little uppity when they snoop around her coop...
sigh. I feel like I made a bad choice in keeping her and not letting her go with her old friends.
I had a perfect flock. A couple of americaunas, orpingtons and one adorable banty (black silkie) A friend made me an offer I couldn't refuse and took my older girls (3year olds this year) because they wanted instant eggs and didn't want to bother with the baby chick stage. So I have ordered new chicks to be picked up on june 3. I kept my little black silkie because she is a pet... and my daughter loves her... She is kept in a smaller coop but is basically alone. (I have 2 free rangers who visit her sometimes) She gets very broody and you can almost set a clock by her. She will lay 7 adorable little eggs and then sit for 2 weeks (clockwork)
my questions...
if I got a couple of chicks now (just straight run babies from the farm/garden store) How likely is it that she would accept them? Do I need to wait until she has layed her 7 eggs and then sneak them in? any suggestions?
I will have 3 sets of chickens in different stages if my plan were to work out... I have the "sister wives" who free range, then if my banty agrees to adopt 2 more I would let them be free range and then if this worked out I would HOPE that she would accept a new group when my new chicks arrive in june...
or would I just be very sad watching her try and run off the babies?
she is fairly territorial with the free range girls... she gets a little uppity when they snoop around her coop...
sigh. I feel like I made a bad choice in keeping her and not letting her go with her old friends.
