Ainee
In the Brooder
Thank you for the information and advice! That sounds like a good way to do it. How did it go when you combined the two groups of chicks that were 3 weeks apart in age? Love the dust bathing picture.Hey Ainee, sorry my reply is so delayed! I haven't yet integrated them because they are just 8 weeks and still too small to fend for themselves if they had to towards the big girls. What I ended up doing is setting them up in my little barn and put a small fence around it so when I let them all out to free range in the yard, they can see and be near eachother without getting hurt. So far the girls don't really seem interested in them. At first they were just sort of looking at them, my more dominant girls were puffing up their feathers as if to say "I'm the boss around here" but then left them alone. I think in only a few more weeks I'll start letting them roam loose with the adults. I just want to make sure they are large enough to fend for themselves. I have introduced one adult hen to my flock (a small black polish hen) who obviously stands out with that big white crest lol. She's a pretty dominant bird and seemed like she just made herself at home in the flock. Seems as though my girls are pretty accepting so I hope it'll go well, the only thing I have that in nervous about is the one rooster he will be very large when grown up, he's a white Cochin roo (this will be my first rooster.. I wanted to have a little extra protection for my girls in the winter. I hope it goes well) I'm learning as I go but as for advice, I'd say to keep them separate but in view of eachother until they are big enough in case of a little scuffle
Here's the babies taking their first dust baths!
