4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Rona]

When should I put Dumpling and Angel in with the grown ups? They are about 15 weeks now I think. I suppose as well as size and maturity and being able to hold their own without being bullied, it has something to do with when they can come off growers pellets and go on to layers, but I might just be guessing.

 

Also, I've just been feeding them on their growers pellets with a little bit of cabbage leaf and some dried mealworms, but can their system cope with things like mixed corn and sweetcorn yet?

 

They'll get plenty of earthworms as well next week when the GDs are here again

[quickcluck]

Personally I think they are still a tad young to go in, but that's only me. I'd leave it another week or so and then let them have heavily supervised play time to see how it goes....

[chelsea]

Have you tried any supervised free ranging yet Rona?

 

I would maybe hold off putting them in the same house/run altogether at the moment and do some occasional free ranging as a flock so the newbies have plenty of room to escape the odd peck or two!

 

Slow is always better for a smoother result, if you can hold off a few more weeks it would be good.

[sjp]

my 3 youngsters are about 16-17 weeks old I've been letting them out together with the 2 big girls since there were about 12-13 weeks old under suppervision and they're not ready to go in with the other 2. I put them in a run next to the big girls saturday and tonight was the first time in a month that they were allowed within a foot of the big girls with out to much pecking I even had 1 of each seating oppersite each other one on each leg eating wheat out of my hand but I'm still not even thinking of joining the flocks untill the youngsters or 22 weeks old

[Rona]

Thanks for your replies. I'm not in any rush to put them together but just wondered what is best. The babies are in the eglu on the grass and the grown-up girls are in the WIR in a wooden house. Merlot pecked at Sparkle for a couple of days when they were first together but they soon settled down and happily potter around and dig holes and dust bathe together now. Only problem is that Merlot won't let Sparkle into the hen house at bedtime. She doesn't seem to mind her going in during the day to lay an egg but in the evening she doesn't really peck her but pushes her out the door with her beak.

 

Is it OK to give the babies grown up food like corn now. And what about things like Lifeguard and bokashi bran?

[sjp]

I give mine wheat dried meal worms strawberrys cabbage they help them shelves to the last 2 they also striped all the blueberrys they tried a plum monday they liked what bit they got the big girls had 99% of it

[quickcluck]

yup bokashi is fine along with any small treats. Mine have pretty much anything now just in smaller amounts than the big girls..