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Post by cocopuffcake on Oct 17, 2011 9:41:37 GMT 8
Good Morning Everyone
My six week old silky chicks and mum hen are starting to run out of space (due to growing up) in my little hen enclosure as there are ten of them. I want to move the chicks and mum back into my main pen which now has only two silky hens 1) Alpha a older nonlaying hen and 2) a teenage pullet yet to lay. My questions are this:
Can I move they this week to their perminant home ?
What can I do to get them nesting up on the milk crates that the others use to roost on, or will they foul up the laying box ?
Will my alpha hen kill the chicks or are they old enough to know to run away from her ?
Thanks Cocopuffcake
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Post by jacquie on Oct 17, 2011 10:54:32 GMT 8
i would try letting them all run together in the same area for a few days (ie a large backyard) to get used to each other and so you can see how alpha chook will react. it is unlikely that she will try to harm the chicks but you never can tell.
as for hte milkcrates, tehy will hop up on them as they are ready, they need to be able to fly up. i woudl provide an extra milk crate for them to be sure if there is not already room, remmeber the other birds might not like them to next to them at first.
after they are all used to each other after a couple of days put them in together. you may not need a copule of days, and oh yes at 6 weeks they are old enough to run away if need be just m
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belle
Full Member
Posts: 147
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Post by belle on Oct 18, 2011 8:09:27 GMT 8
Does this work for a rooster in the pen also?
I've got 7 week old Jap babies and I got some light sussex chicks due any day now and I have run out of room for the little fellas. (My husband has failed again on making a new run for them).
Can I put the 7 week olds in with their Dad (& Mum)? Paddy is very protective of his girls and I'm worried he'll freak if he's got competitiion for their affections.
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Post by jacquie on Oct 18, 2011 10:43:02 GMT 8
yes belle it should work with a rooster in the pen aswell................i am assuming its a jap rooster? i don't know much about japs but i would imagine they should be fairly gentle with their babies as other bantam breeds can be.
just try it and see. my pekin roos are quite good with the young pekins, and have even been caught "mothering" them
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