[Porffor]

Met a lady at a car boot today.. who was selling eggs, and has some Light sussex 10 week olds.. not sure if they are called pullets or chicks still. She has a couple of hens and I'm going to call her to discuss going to see them. She's not too far from me.
Now.. I was just wondering how my girls will take to 10 week olds.. will they treat them as normal chickens or babies?
I'm likely sounding dumb but with horses they are young (for the first couple of years) and the whole herd knows the difference.

Also are light sussex hybrids?
Thanks

[mdueal]

We havent mixed our little ones with adult chickens till they were around 12-16 weeks old. and only then under supervision. Our dominant female tends to be very aggressive towards the babies and i think she would kill them given half a chance!! Depends o nature of your chickens i suppose

[GrannieAnnie]

Mmm I agree I'm afraid, I don't usually mix them until teh pullets are nearly POL also, hens can be quite vicious to youngsters, at least when they are POL, hopefully they can stand up for themselves.

Can you keep them separate but within sight of each other until the pullets are a little older?

[Foxy]

10 weeks is a little young to introduce them. Normally would be called growers till around 18 weeks, would also need poultry growers pellets at theat age.
Will they be sexed as well, if any mistakes are made over sex could you return him.
Light sussex are pure bred chickens very good layers and nice birds.

[Porffor]

Thanks all, i have a guinea pig run i could put in there.. and the small henhouse still... just thought i'd check how they are likely to get on.. and I'm glad i have now! lol

Foxy, I had read that Light sussex are sex-linked.. is this not correct? She said she has 2 that are cockerals and 2 hens.. so she seems to know the difference.. I did explain I'm not in the market for a cockerel and why.

Will have to see if i can get growers pellets too..
Thanks again.

[Foxy]

Hi Sounds like a good set up!

Dont think Light Sussex are sex-linked, they are used for sex-linking though in hybrids, mating a gold to silver (RIRXLight Sussex).
Could be wrong though!!!  

[Jellyhead]

Hi Porffor,
I introduced Bertha (Buff chick) and Mrs Stanley (Barbu D'Anvers chick) to my lot when they were about 8/10 weeks old. But I did that by putting them and an indoor Guinea Pig cage inside the coop. They then used to go out in the shelter in the outdoor Guinea run during the day. When I thought they were big enough and they had lived like that for a week or so I let them out with all the others (at night). It worked a treat and I have had no problems.
Doing exactly the same with the other 4 Buffs, 2 Barbu D'Anvers and the 3 Golden pheasants. They are still a bit small so not letting them mix yet but by the time they do they will have been living that way for about a month.
My only problem now is that I have to make a seperate coop and outside run for the pheasants :shock:  :roll:  

[too many girls]

can someone tell me what sex-linked is please?

[Porffor]

TMG.. it's where the chicks look different for each sex.. so can be identified early (I think i'm right saying it that way). lol

Spoke to the husband tonight and the chooks are £4.50 each.. bonus when you think  I paid £15 for EACH of my two hybrids. I knew i'd find them cheaper closer in the end, just took some luck! lol
So i'm off to see them on Wednesday all going well (have a new fosling arriving on Thursday and too much on if i'm honest). So will know more about their size.
The indoor guinea pig run is a great idea as I have one sat in the shed! I was being interigated by Erin earlier about where HER pigs were going to go when my chickens were using her run!

When you let them out at night Jellyhead, did they sleep in the main henhouse with the older chooks? I have read that they'll settle to bed together that way and wondered if thats the way I should introduce them when it comes to actually letting them mix when they are older.

Thanks again all.

P.S. what do you think of Gold Campines? he has one left.. so have the option of one (if it's still there...)