when can you put the chicks with the hens?

NM, don't know where I got that "3 months" thing from... Anyway, I found another thread here on this topic and the people in that one are saying 4 weeks weather-dependent, 8 weeks for sure. Now, if only I knew how old my babies are, ha ha!

Our Speckled Sussex are a gentle breed and usually get along. When it's time for them to leave the brooder they go into the chicken pen for about a week so they think of it as home. Then the gate is open and they can go wherever they want. During the time they're in the brooder I'll take each dog with me daily to "Check the chicks" so the dogs understand the chicks have pet status. This is important because we live in the middle of the woods and the dogs need to be able to get to the chickens for protection. Our cats don't seem to be a problem so far, they show interest in the chicks but seem to get annoyed when the chicks approach them. All in all, it works out. Dogs, cats, and chickens get along fine.

Well, I was planning on going for the 8 weeks like everyone seems to agree on, but I wound up having to let my babies loose in the main coop tonight prematurely. They have been in the coop in their sleeping cage for only the last two nights; however, they've been out in the yard with the grown-ups - albeit separated from - since i got them 2 weeks ago. Six of them are around 4 or 5 weeks, the "big babies" (they act like big babies, if ya know what i mean, lol!) are about 6 or 7 weeks. Anyway, i had completely forgotten that they dumped there water last night, soaking their bedding. Rather than put them in sopping-wet shavings or doing a cage change at 9:30pm i decided to put them in the nest directly above where their sleeping cage is, lid open so they can fly down in the morning for their breakfast and water. I'm sure they'll be fine (rooster's a pussy even though he has 1" spurs) but i'll post results in the morning

Babies are fine they stayed in the nest until the adults went out and then they flew down and explored the coop. So, at least for overnighters, it seems that 4 weeks can be a safe age.

I have 6, 6 week old chicks. Right now they are outside with my 3 hens separated between chicken wire. When should I put them together? and how should I do it?

Hedwig said:

I have 6, 6 week old chicks. Right now they are outside with my 3 hens separated between chicken wire. When should I put them together? and how should I do it?

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How are the hens (behaviourally) towards the chicks? If they're calm and hanging out nearby the babies, I think there's no issues. If the babies have their own portable pen (such as a rabbit cage, like what I used) start them in the coop with that so they have a protective barrier. If your hens are hanging about the babies during the day without grumbles, you can likely take them into the coop this/next NIGHT (not day) and, provided you're there early the next morning with breakfast, all should be well. There will be "teaching" happening, and this is fine.... If there is excessive pecking and squabbling, use your judgement to see if the babies need seperation for a few more days or not.

I had mine going in the coop at night in the aforementioned rabbit cage at about 3/4 weeks and brought them out in the mornings to their outdoor pen. I think I only did this for maybe a week before putting them in with the grownups full time. The hens did their pecking bit as did the rooster, (the rooster more so, because he sensed his days were nearing their end - I SWEAR animals are psychic!) but the little ones have speed on their side so if there's enough space, they will be fine and integrate as the flock sees fit. Just know that squabblings and peckings are normal, brutality is not.

Additional note: If you are prone to predators, putting your young ones in with the elders sooner rather than later can be a great benefit. They will learn and develop flight better than they would if they were "coddled". My elder roo "taught" (making them run for their lives, so to speak) my youngsters flight and I'm sure I'll be glad for it once snow falls! My best fliers are a blue australorp/houdan x and a chantecler/ameraucana x - both can clear the roof of my house from 50'! They were the latest additions and still not welcome (to the flock). The black australorps learned flight from the elder roo since 4 weeks, but now are so HUGE they can only clear a 4' fence from a standing start 2' in front (still beneficial if a predator were to get in the coop.) So, try your babies and see what happens. Just observe the first day, if you can, to make sure nothing drastic is going down.

They seem interested in them after a few days and would wander next to the chicken wire looking in at the chicks. We have a lot of hawks so I think doing it sooner would be better. Thank you!

Hedwig said:

They seem interested in them after a few days and would wander next to the chicken wire looking in at the chicks. We have a lot of hawks so I think doing it sooner would be better. Thank you!

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I would have to agree. My chicken experience is limited to 4 years in the bush with the birds in fully-enclosed pens (a big shed-type building with a run on either side and a separator door in the middle of the coop) and now, 21 years later, where I'm having my own now since last summer. I remember as a youth one bad winter where we had 14" snow (we were on the pacific west coast where the snow rarely holds) and we were kept up those nights by howling wolves and seeing paw prints outside the coop runs... Never lost any. Now, where I am on the east coast, I haven't bothered with a fully enclosed run. I thought about it, and then thought against it. I did lose a few to coons or foxes or whatever last winter, but they only took the ones that were older, not so healthy, etc. so it didn't bother me that much. My next door neighbour had tried keeping chickens and he did everything "right"... Fully enclosed coop and run, blah blah,... the mink dug in and took out his entire flock in ONE NIGHT because the birds had no escape!

What you do is based on your environment, how you've built it, and how your birds can deal. If you happen to have a roo that knows his job and performs accordingly, that will most certainly be of benefit! I think every situation is unique... Like, after hearing my neighbour's tale, I'm GLAD I didn't fully enclose my run and that I leave the "doggy-door" open ALL the time... The coons (last winter) only got a few as opposed to ALL... I now leave my birds an escape (all can fly over their run fence) just because... if we were to get mink here again, omg... I'd have nothing left the following morning otherwise!