My Experience- Keeping Chicks With Adult Chickens

[273816]

I've read a few, actually a lot, of posts that are completely against keeping chicks with older chickens. I raised Beatrice, along with two roosters I had to give away, from the moment she was a week old and I've had her ever since. She's now 23/24 weeks old and lives with two Black Australorps called Elsa and Beyonce, whom are 14 weeks old.

Now, I'm not gonna lie, we had our problems at first but once the young blackies figured out Beatrice was in charge, they've grown very close and once, when I suspected she might have mites, and they wouldn't stop chirping until I put her back- mite free, might I add. They've been with her since almost 3 and a half weeks old and we've never had any issues. Beatrice is very gentle, snuggly and especially kind to strangers of the chicken kind. I'm glad it worked out so well.

This is just a post to share my experiences, not in any way to go against what people said. Beatrice is a lovely chicken and nice natured, I'm pleased to of had her while going through my first chicken-keeping experiences.

Thanks,
Rachel.

 

[chooks4life]

I've read a few, actually a lot, of posts that are completely against keeping chicks with older chickens...

Yep, and those posts come about precisely because people began to segregate the genders and ages, and kept doing that for enough generations while artificially interfering with their social and reproductive lives wherever possible, and thus gradually destroyed the natural social instincts of some family lines.

If everyone raised them together without the break in the family unit that would never have been an issue. As it is, now it can be dangerous to reintroduce them to adults who have lost their social instincts, but personally I won't keep a bird that is aggressive to chicks.

Great to hear your experience went well.

Best wishes.

 

[273816]

Yep, and those posts come about precisely because people began to segregate the genders and ages, and kept doing that for enough generations while artificially interfering with their social and reproductive lives wherever possible, and thus gradually destroyed the natural social instincts of some family lines.

If everyone raised them together without the break in the family unit that would never have been an issue. As it is, now it can be dangerous to reintroduce them to adults who have lost their social instincts, but personally I won't keep a bird that is aggressive to chicks.

Great to hear your experience went well.

Best wishes.

I completely agree with you, thanks for the comment and thank you for the kind wishes.

Rachel.