[Chookiechook]

My silkie, polish frizzle and pekin chicks  are now 8 weeks old...... nicely feathered and looking good...

How much longer do you think they will need a heat lamp on for??  And at what age can they join the big girls and boys up at the stable??

Thanks for your views

Chookie

[GrannieAnnie]

In the colder weather, I usually leave my chicks under heat lamps for 5-6 weeks, then just put a red light bulb on for them for a couple of weeks.  Once they are fully feathered, I don't think its good to keep them too warm.  they need to learn to get used to the colder weather.    Sometimes I'll change the 250w heat lamp to a 150w heat lamp then down to the red bulb, but at the moment I haven't got any 150's.  So I'll switch one lamp off tomorrow as my lot have 2 lamps on to cover them.  they are 5 weeks now.  Then next week or if  it gets really cold the week after I'll turn the other one off and just leave them a red light on for a bit.

As to when to introduce, I don't really know as I don't usually keep young and old together.  But one of the other girls will know!

[Chookiechook]

Thanks GrannieAnnie

So really, I should be able to leave it off now then??

The shed they are in is warm as there are 100w infrared lamps on for the quail chicks...... but when I leave the chooks lamp off they crowd round the end of the pen trying to get close to the quail light....

Its such a shame that they dont have more space.... they really do need it

[GrannieAnnie]

My Amberlink chicks are the worst ones for crowding down one end.  They even suffocate at times because something has frightened them!  Stupid chicks!  So why don't you try just a red light bulb for a while too, until the quail don't need heat also?  I think its the light they are going towards rather than the heat??  a 40w or even 60w is better than the 100w!

[joyfull]

As they don't have a mum to protect them I would wait until they were bigger and able to stick up for themselves before introducing them. I would let them spend a few weeks in full view of the older girls so they can get used to each other but safe from any aggression. Can't help with the heat lamp bit though as I used broodies sorry 

[Chookiechook]

GrannieAnnie..... I think you are right about the light  They had a 60w fireglow bulb until tonight but  I took it out to see if they would be ok.....  The shed is fairly warm with still 150w of other lighting in it,... so they should be fine

Joyfull..... Integrating them is becoming less of a problem now.... Ihave just rehomed three of the silkies and both the polish frizzels    Soon I wont need to worry.... there will only be one silkie and a pair of lavender pekins to consider

Not sure if I have done the right thing leaving one silkie on its own.... will it realise its not a pekin???

[GrannieAnnie]

Don't worry chooky, it will think its a chicken!!  I'm not sure if the different breeds do realise that they are different to the others? 

But we mustn't talk about selling our birds on here.  I've had my knuckles rapped once or twice!!!

[Chookiechook]

sorted

Although once they are gone, no one else can have them, and the others are for keeps

Glad they wont know the difference though..... I must post some pics of them to show you all, they are soooo cute

[GrannieAnnie]

Like my lot for instance, okay, young Goldlines living with RIR's okay, as they are similar in looks, but I've got my 2 survivors from the respiratory infection together still, the naked neck and the cuckoo silkie, and in the house that used to be Enery's I've got a bonsai Goldline in with the 2 white silkies!!! 

and its the cuckoo silkie that tells the naked neck off and she's half the size!!!   

[IMOmimey]

I have found that some of the breeds definately recognise 'their own kind' especially araucanas. Whereas some seem to have little cliques based on their colour....my whites seem to prefer their own company, and won't let the brown warrens join the club.  As a general rule, they do best with similar size coop-mates, but avoid mixing ages where possible.  Quite apart from the increased susceptibility of infectious diseases that young growers have, they are also on different feed. I give mine chick crumb until around 6 weeks, then they move onto Growers/developers pellets until 18 weeks, then layers pellets. Therefore, i Don't keep the 'grown ups' with any that are younger than 18 weeks.

Heat lamps.... no idea if what I do is right, but it works for me......my babies are hatched in my dining room. It is a fairly constant temperature in there of course. I start them with a 60w bulb, lowered to only about 6" from the bottom, and raise it a bit gradually. by 2 weeks, it is really only providing light source.

 At around 4-5 weeks, i wean them off the light altogether, then at 6 weeks they go out into the garage, and I just make a judgement on their feathering etc and the weather to see when they go out into a run on the grass.(I always choose a fresh area of grass, unpooped on! by other choox, for their run). If well feathered, and 4 or more chix to snuggle up, they go out around 8 weeks in the winter (6weeks in summer).  At  around 12 weeks, I move their coop/run to adjacent to the oldies, so they can safely become friends.

Hope that helps a bit. But be aware we all do it a bit differently, and you probably will too, there is more than one "correct" way to do it. Trial and  (sadly)error.

[joyfull]

As IMOmimmy says yes we do all do it differently, I have several different sorts including 2 bantams whose parentage is very disputable (think there is some silkie very well hidden in there somewhere  ), they all free range together and their ages are from 20 weeks through to 2 years old. The only problems that I have had was with 3 amberlinks ganging up on the others and yes they certainly did stick together. All my girlies know their place in the pecking order and things seem to run smoothly with just the odd little squabble. 

[Chookiechook]

IMOmimmy.... you have a good point regarding feed!!!  I hadnt thought of that one

But they can go into a seperate run within the silkie stable, so can have their own feed, and then by the time they are old enough to mix they can share food  I suppose

There is also a little room off of the stable.... was a tackroom... that I could fence off for them, that way they would have more room too

Seems like they will be more than ready for doing without the heat too

The other place I have for them, is my greenhouse..... I have set up a pen in there for quail growers now it is not hot.... so they could go in there for  a few weeks

Oh choices choices

[IMOmimey]

A run within a run.......that works well, just so long as the older choox cant sit on top of baby run, leaving their poopy presents. It is believed that baby chix have not developed sufficiently (immunity wise) and can get cocci as well as anything else around, that the older chx can carry without any probs. A run BESIDE the run is usually the safest way to go.

[Chookiechook]

Ohhhh     another good reason for them to stay at home with meeeee!!!!

I think I might put them in the greenhouse.... please dont tell me there is a reason not to do this

Other than that I have an outdoor run with a hutch on top.... but not sure they would figure out how to go up to bed.... the original silkies never quite got it!!!