Rearing 6 week old Pekin bantams

Dizzy Devil · **Joined:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:36 pm **Posts:** 5

These are my first two chicks that I haven't raised from a day old and I'm wondering how to get them more used to being handled/pet. Basically I bought them as pets, they are not show quality, but they have never been away from mum until now. Clearly they are scared and still adjusting to their new environment, since I only bought them two days ago!

I don't want to scare them so that my presence is related to feeling stressed. Does anyone have ideas how to tame my new babies and make them feel more comfortable?

Peter16 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2008 9:54 am

At 6 weeks they should still be in a brooder for maybe another fortnight pending weather,
I find the best way to tame them is to spend alot of time just sitting with them so they get used to your presence then once they dont mind your company then you can start handling them.

hope this helps

Peter

Dizzy Devil · **Joined:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:36 pm **Posts:** 5

They have all their feathers and the days have been nice lately, so they are outside during the day but still sleeping inside at night. They are enjoying running around in the garden when out of the run and I am keeping a close eye on them.

This is one of the chicks to the left, in the avatar pic.

Deans' Poultry · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:50 am

Yep did the same as you at around 5-6 weeks Dizzy Devil-outside through the day weather permitting and back inside at night. Yours have feathered up very nicely.
My daughters pekins are 9 weeks and have been outside fulltime since 8 weeks in their house with run that grandad built. Will get a pic today as i reckon he did a great job on it

Hope the fine weather continues :-D

Peter16 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:54 am

Yeah, they will be fine outside during the day, i found at that age, they got board in their brooder so i let them out all day and back inside at night

Deans' Poultry · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:06 am

Yep and i reckon that getting a green pick at that age is very important. Good time to worm them too as they are now digging around in the dirt

Also getting them outside at an early age helps them feather up quicker. In the warmer months i put large variety chicks in the grower pens at about 3-4 weeks. Older in the colder months.
Over the next few weeks i'm going to build an indoor run for 4-6 weekers in the storeroom seeing as i'll need to keep them indoors until they are 6-8 weeks old. By that age they are far too big to be in the brooder but still too young to go into the grower pens in winter. Middle of winter here we get temps as low as -6 :-?

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Dizzy Devil wrote:

These are my first two chicks that I haven't raised from a day old and I'm wondering how to get them more used to being handled/pet. Basically I bought them as pets, they are not show quality, but they have never been away from mum until now. Clearly they are scared and still adjusting to their new environment, since I only bought them two days ago!

I don't want to scare them so that my presence is related to feeling stressed. Does anyone have ideas how to tame my new babies and make them feel more comfortable?

Hi Dizzy Devil, basically over time they will accept you, particularly if you are the feeder and this is the best way to win their trust "slow are steady wins the race" try offering a small amount of Millet at your feet while your sitting as this is less intimidating for them :-D

Thanks
P.A :lol:

Dizzy Devil · **Joined:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:36 pm **Posts:** 5

Deans' Poultry wrote:

Yep and i reckon that getting a green pick at that age is very important. Good time to worm them too as they are now digging around in the dirt

Should chicks at that age be given a different sort of wormer to adult birds? My other chooks didn't get wormed until much later (but then we were also living in a semi arid area without a lot of moisture to aid in worm growth in the soil...which was pretty sandy).

Would you recommend an all wormer or just round worms at this stage? The big ones did have a small infestation of thread worms a few months back, which is why I ask. It looks like the life cycle was broken there, however.

Also, the remaining hen from my original group is a full sized chicken. I bought the two bantams to give her some company, because I think birds on their own are very sad! I'm getting them adjusted to each other a bit every day, where they can see each other through fencing. Will it be an issue that they are smaller than her (as a breed)? It's pretty clear she'll be the head chook, since it's her 'territory' and they are younger.

County Lodge · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:11 pm

Hi Dizzy Devel,

Check out threads re worming chooks etc in Poultry health and wellbeing. This will help a lot.

Taming your chicks:- If you have the time take away their food and you should be the only source of food through the day. So about 4 times a day go down and crouch down with them and put the food at your feet. I reckon it will only take 1 or 2 days and they will be eating out of your hand. I give them special treats in the afternoon like chopped up Chinese cabbage and corn kernels I have cut from the cob. Always leave food with them when you put them away at night and if you can't get to feed them at least 4 times in the day. They don't need a lot when you feed them just enough that they come quickly to eat and then they are satisfied.

I hope this helps. Food is always the source of taming anything from chooks to dogs to husbands. :-D

Deans' Poultry · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:35 pm

Dizzy Devil wrote:

Deans' Poultry wrote:

Yep and i reckon that getting a green pick at that age is very important. Good time to worm them too as they are now digging around in the dirt

Should chicks at that age be given a different sort of wormer to adult birds? My other chooks didn't get wormed until much later (but then we were also living in a semi arid area without a lot of moisture to aid in worm growth in the soil...which was pretty sandy).

Would you recommend an all wormer or just round worms at this stage? The big ones did have a small infestation of thread worms a few months back, which is why I ask. It looks like the life cycle was broken there, however.

Also, the remaining hen from my original group is a full sized chicken. I bought the two bantams to give her some company, because I think birds on their own are very sad! I'm getting them adjusted to each other a bit every day, where they can see each other through fencing. Will it be an issue that they are smaller than her (as a breed)? It's pretty clear she'll be the head chook, since it's her 'territory' and they are younger.

I've recently become a big fan of using the mectins-ivomectin etc, as it does both worms and parasites, but before that i was using BigL. Both can be used at 6 weeks of age. As county Lodge said theres plenty of imfo about worms etc in poultry h &wb

As far as your birds getting along you'll just have to wait and see how they go. You might find that after she stamps her authority with a few pecks to the head she leaves them alone

After a lil while they'll work things out though :-D

If for some strange reason they don't, you'll have to work out what you're going to do weather it be more space, extra feed dishes, things to ammuse her, obstacles for the smaller ones to hide etc. But i'm pretty sure they'll be able to work things out by themselves over time

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Rearing 6 week old Pekin bantams

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