Worried

[chickenchick83]

Hello I'm a first time chicken momma I have 11 babies about 4 weeks old!! I have 3 silkies and one is a fizzle and is being picked on badly by one of my bigger chicks all the same age but I have 4 that are much bigger midnight the one that's picking on my silkie belle seems to have it in for her and her only I know they arent quite ready to be moved outside to the coop yet but we have been having g very seasonably warm weather like 80s in the day and 50s at night! I was wondering if it would be ok to move my 4 bigger ones to coop they seem to be fully feathered if not they are 97% didn't know if u could separate them or not?? Please help

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hello I'm a first time chicken momma I have 11 babies about 4 weeks old!! I have 3 silkies and one is a fizzle and is being picked on badly by one of my bigger chicks all the same age but I have 4 that are much bigger midnight the one that's picking on my silkie belle seems to have it in for her and her only I know they arent quite ready to be moved outside to the coop yet but we have been having g very seasonably warm weather like 80s in the day and 50s at night! I was wondering if it would be ok to move my 4 bigger ones to coop they seem to be fully feathered if not they are 97% didn't know if u could separate them or not?? Please help

OK, you will get different post about this-----I Loved my Silkies, but I was tired of them being picked on so All the silkie's went into a big enough private pen----for years---never having that problem anymore---That's the way I Do it! Never free ranging them if I did the others. I think of silkies as fragile

Moving your 4 week olds outside with No heat if they have been in with heat--might cause a problem on these colder nights, But the way I do it-----is I hang a light with a 40 or 60 watt bulb in a somewhat closed in area with the front completely open. They can snuggle together on some hay towards the back and the light bulb gives enough heat to help. I unplug the light in the day and plug it back up before dark----that cause the chicks to go into this area because it is lit up and they do good.

 

[azygous]

I totally agree about segregating Silkies, and bantams breeds in general, especially when there are few of them. Chickens notice the ones who are different among them and they focus attention on those. Silkies, bantams, Polish all have different appearances from standard breeds. Either get more of them to dilute the difference created by small numbers or let them have their own space.

A good way to acclimatize your chicks is to let them spend days in the run, and only bring them inside when you see them begin to chill. After a week of this, you can move them out to the coop to sleep.

If you plan on keeping all the breeds together, you need to keep them together now so they won't lose their group identity. But do give some thought to segregating the Silkies.

One last thought. Since there's just the one chick causing the trouble, try spending time with them and when you see Midnight go after the frizzle, give her a poke on the back. Do it each time she goes after her victim. Sometimes it's possible to condition a bully chick to stop the behavior. It will usually work in less than two days if it's going to work.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Yes please separate them. I keep two separate flocks, bantams and standards because the bantam are easily picked on and bullied by the larger more rambunctious breeds. Silkies especially are vulnerable to be pecked, especially on the crests which can cause brain damage, and can be deadly.

 

[PD-Riverman]

. Since there's just the one chick causing the trouble, try spending time with them and when you see Midnight go after the frizzle, give her a poke on the back. Do it each time she goes after her victim. Sometimes it's possible to condition a bully chick to stop the behavior. It will usually work in less than two days if it's going to work.

Azygous I laugh when I read this----In a Friendly way---I say to myself, this person has not been where I been, But if a person has time for this---I am sure it will help.

I want to "paint a Picture for you" on why I snicker/laugh----picture the hatcher is full, over 250 chicks hatching--along with the 221 that hatched last week and about 180 the week before, plus over 900 more eggs in the incubators, almost full capacity on the 20+ brooders---several hundred chicks wanting food and water, cleaning poop trays---No Time To Poke On the Head/back---LOL,

 

[chickenchick83]

Thank you everyone I think I will separate my bantams and silkies away from the big guys!! I think I copied the link to show what kind of coop and run I have so if I separate them I will keep my silkies where they are and move by big guys out to coop and add a heat source at night and all should be ok??? Sry so many ???s just very new to this and I love them all and want them to thrive and be happy!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Your bantams would not do well in that coop, so good decision. You will be keeping 4 large breed birds in that coop? That is probably at maximum capacity, and you still might have troubles with aggression unless you give them a larger run.

 

[chickenchick83]

I have 6 that aren't silkies but only 4 are much larger than the rest. When we purchased the coop it said it was rated for up to 18 chickens....... so should I have my hubby add more run room?? And what kind of coop is good for silkies??

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Unfortunately manufacturers of those types of coops, great exaggerate the number they can house. I don't why they don't ever learn what chickens really need in their housing. What will end up happening is the top birds will control the coop and they will allow no other birds in, and there will pecking of submissive member. It won't become a problem until you birds begin to sexually mature, than space and territory becomes more important.

That type of coop is big enough at best for 2-3 hens, and even than they will require a larger area to forage.

There's a nice coop forum where maybe you could get more information. Chickens need lots of room to avoid behavioral problems. You are probably going to need another larger coop or two, or need to keep less birds.

 

[chickenchick83]

Ugh.... looks like I've got myself in a pickle!! Well the hubbys honey do list just got a lil longer!!

Thank you so much for your advice