Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[emmastar]

Hi all i have 2 fertile eggs in the bator with 7 days to go so 2 chicks maby is all goes well there .

 

Ive ordered my cube for the first week in july so excited BUT i did order some day old silkies to go with the chicks im hopefully getting from the bator but have just been told they wont be ready for a few weeks

 

My dilema is ...... i have the cube on order and want to have 6 chickens in total , i can add the day olds in a few weeks and try to get them together or get the 2 silkies and 2 frizles that are a few weeks old i have been ofered in the next week or so .

 

Eather way it will mean introductions of diferent ages chicks if i get the older chicks they have been living in a barn with a lamp and are due to come of this so wouldnt need to be kept in the house BUT this would mean trying to borow and eglu of you fine people or rentig on for a few weeks , or i go with the day old and add them to the 2 i will have but this would mean a straight intro into the pen and could be a 2 week age gap between them ,

 

What would you hen lovers sugest i do ?

[fluffy chick]

Gosh I'm confused

 

Personally I would wait and get your chicks settled in the cube and then introduce some more

[emmastar]

Sorry it is all a bit confusing isnt it lol the other advantage of the ready now chicks is that they are sexed allready .

[abwsco]

Sorry it is all a bit confusing isnt it lol the other advantage of the ready now chicks is that they are sexed allready .

 

I thought Silkies were difficult to sex

[emmastar]

Not to sure they are a few weeks old now fully feathered and was told they are girls im new to this so maby nieve

[Redwing]

Honestly? I'd do neither, there are plenty of young chicks about at this time of the year so i'd look for a third option

 

If the day old silkies wont be ready for a few weeks then the breeder hasnt set the eggs yet! not very good if you agreed a deal a while back

 

If I had to choose I'd get the ones with two weeks age difference and put them together - chicks rarely turn on each other and are pretty accepting really just be sure any day olds are completely dry, eating, drinking and are strong chicks

 

The ones that are three weeks old now wont be ready to live outside for another couple of weeks - they'll need gradual weaning from the lamp they have been under so you face housing them indoors anyway and it would be harder to integrate your youngsters with ones that will be nearly a month older than them and established outdoors by then

 

I can imagine that its probably reasonably plausible that the Frizzles will be sexed at a few weeks but amazed if the Silkies are - no doubt some breeders are skilled at these things but I have never accurately managed to sex a Silkie before 16 weeks - before that its been pure guesswork

[emmastar]

TY redwing

 

Ill wait for another week to see what happens with these i have and go from there , not driving gives me alot less scope for colecting chicks so have had to look preaty close to me ,

[Redwing]

Thats a very good point - literally dont count your chickens before they've hatched

 

As you say wait for the hatch then decide from there

 

What part of the country are you in? can I help you find an alternative breeder maybe?

[emmastar]

Im in manchester well cheadle sk8 area ,

Im looking for silkies and the kids like frizles and chchins ( anything fluffy looking realy ) They will be pets for the familey .

Cheshire poultry have some ready in 14 days from today so that would mean only a week diference if all goes well with the 2 eggs i have .

Tbh i didnt know how they would get along at diferent ages but if a week wont be a problem its near to me

[Redwing]

To be honest you cant go far wrong with Steve Dace at Cheshire Poultry, if he is close he is a good bet, lovely chooks and well kept too

[emmastar]

Ty ( i spoke to his wife i think ) and she was very nice i need to phone her back this week to see how the hatch is going . My friend ive given up on so will speak to cp again to see how they are going on with there eggs soon .

Looking at his site his birds look stunning .