The Poultry Keeper

Chris Kurzfeld · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1406 Location: Carmarthenshire

I've got 3 Brahma bantams at the bottom of the garden, they are in a large ark and free range with the rams in the small paddock. I've also got 2 brahma bantam chicks, almost 4 weeks old, that are sons/daughters of the others. My questions are A) when can they go out with mum/s and B) do I need to contain them for a week to make sure they go to roost at night with the older ones?

mojo · Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 5:28 pm Post subject:

several questions...are they off heat/for how long/what food are they on?.........they neeed to be off heat for a week minimum better2 ..ideally allow one to two weeks more for weather to improve in temp. ....eating standard food pellets .......if they are 3/4 the size of originals but not less.........put in at night and confine for 3 days to ark

Chris Kurzfeld · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1406 Location: Carmarthenshire

Thanks Mojo. They have just gone on to heat only at night but are indoors so was hoping to get them off completely over the next week - they are about 1/2 the size of mum/s. They are on chick crumbs at the moment but just started to mix in growers pellets so they should be fully on pellets in the next week. I am happy to keep them in till they are a bit older. They will need to go in with mum/s as i don't have a spare ark at the moment - do you think there may be a problem with this - do i need to get OH to knock up something for them?

mojo · Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 5:44 pm Post subject:

i find size relationship is an important factor and adding them to the rest in at bed time for the first time definately helps.....so dont rush it

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1360 Location: Leicestershire

I don't mix my young ones in with the adults at night until they are at least 20 weeks old and then they will have been running in the field together since they were old enough to go out (4 weeks with broody) Young ones - especially small ones will get bullied and pecked by the adults, don't risk it.

Itsybitsy

Barny_Velder · Joined: 29 Dec 2007 Posts: 164 Location: North Wales Coast

Keep them on crumb till 8 weeks then switch over to growers.
I put mine outdoors at 8 weeks into a free range coop with a pen around it, after a week I leave the pen door open about an hour before bedtime, after a couple of days I get earlier and earlier until one day I lift off the pen and the coops is left on it's own in the paddock. They will integrate slowly into the main flock but it can take time.