Several questions on raising chicks

That other guy

In the Brooder
Jun 18, 2015
55
2
43
Missouri
Hello!

I'm new to raising chicks (woohoo!) and rather excited about it. I have been reading a lot about these guys and the do's and don'ts.

But I have several questions, but first some background on what we're getting:

On thursday we are getting 15 Delaware chicks (hopefully a male in there), and 5 Black Austrolarps.

On July 16th, we will be getting a second batch: 5-10 guinea fowl, and 5 Cinnamon Queen.

We have a 10 feet x 10 feet coup for all these guys and hopefully a second coup on the way this year sometime.

The first batch will be around 3 weeks old when the second batch arrives and that raises some questions.

The first question (and I somewhat have a feel for the answer but want a more experienced chicken person's opinion) should the two groups be separated because of the age difference? Because the 3 week old one would most likely trample our little new comers.

Question 2: Because of them being separated, introducing them to the first group will be somewhat challenging as the hierarchy pecking order may already be established. Thoughts on how to introduce them so that doesnt happen? Or will it happen and I just need to keep a good eye on them?

Question 3: After being put into the Chicken coup, how long should they be there to imprint on the coup? I hear that guineas should be in there for around 3 weeks. And the chickens 1-2 weeks.

Thanks for the help, more questions coming as I think of them.
 
Hi. My 2 broods were 3.5 weeks apart this year. My first suggestion is: If you've bought a heat lamp, take it back. Then go out and buy yourself an extra large Sunbeam X-Press Heat heating pad. Read the thread titled "Mama Heating Pad brooder" started by Blooie, and make yourself a heating pad cave. You can easily brood your first batch for 3 weeks. They should be weaned from the cave just in time to start your second group. You can start them in the house in an EXTRA large cardboard box, and move them directly to the coop just as soon as you're confident that they are eating and drinking well, and using the cave as needed. You'll be surprised how quickly they acclimate, and how very easy it is to raise chicks with this system. I would get the first group moved into the coop just as soon as possible, then put up a wire divider for the second group. After a week or so, you can take the divider down, and the 2 groups should do well together. This is how I did it, and by the time my littles were 2 weeks old, they were coming and going from the loft of their coop, and hanging out with the bigs with very little bullying going on.

An interim brooder for your first batch (as they WILL complain when you take away their MHP, b/c it's like a security blanket to them) would be to provide them with a box that they can snuggle in for the night, or make a fleece strip broody hen for them. (Kassaundra's brain child: consists of 1" fleece strips hanging down through holes cut in a 1/2 spackle bucket laid on it's side. The chicks will snuggle in the fleece like they would in the feathers of a broody. A milk crate would be great for this application.

BTW, if you're willing, it's helpful to put at least your state in your profile so folks can gear the advice they give you to your geographic area. I wish you the best of luck in your new venture!

Other suggestions: give your chicklets a nice big hunk of sod (upside down) within the first 2 weeks to jump start their immunity and gut flora, give them their first grit, lots of entertainment, first greens, and even their first bugs and dust bath! (be sure it hasn't been treated with herbicides or insecticides) Read the fermented feed thread. FF is also an excellent way to improve your flock's nutrition and save on your feed bill.
 
Yes, I would separate the 2 batches of chicks. When integrating chickens, I like to split my coop so that they can see each other but are separated by wire for 3-4 weeks, then I let them out free ranging together. If that goes well, I combine them. I usually do not stick around when I first let them mingle - I would separate every fight they had which wouldn't help. There is going to be some fighting, but as long as it isn't constant and there isn't any blood, it'll work out.

I haven't raised guineas before, but I keep my new chickens in the coop for 2 weeks.

Happy chickening! :)
 
Hi.  My 2 broods were 3.5 weeks apart this year.  My first suggestion is:  If you've bought a heat lamp, take it back.  Then go out and buy yourself an extra large Sunbeam X-Press Heat heating pad.  Read the thread titled "Mama Heating Pad brooder" started by Blooie, and make yourself a heating pad cave.  You can easily brood your first batch for 3 weeks.  They should be weaned from the cave just in time to start your second group.  You can start them in the house in an EXTRA large cardboard box, and move them directly to the coop just as soon as you're confident that they are eating and drinking well, and using the cave as needed.  You'll be surprised how quickly they acclimate, and how very easy it is to raise chicks with this system.  I would get the first group moved into the coop just as soon as possible, then put up a wire divider for the second group.  After a week or so, you can take the divider down, and the 2 groups should do well together.  This is how I did it, and by the time my littles were 2 weeks old, they were coming and going from the loft of their coop, and hanging out with the bigs with very little bullying going on.  

An interim brooder for your first batch (as they WILL complain when you take away their MHP, b/c it's like a security blanket to them) would be to provide them with a box that they can snuggle in for the night, or make a fleece strip broody hen for them.  (Kassaundra's brain child:  consists of 1" fleece strips hanging down through holes cut in a 1/2 spackle bucket laid on it's side.  The chicks will snuggle in the fleece like they would in the feathers of a broody.  A milk crate would be great for this application.

BTW, if you're willing, it's helpful to put at least your state in your profile so folks can gear the advice they give you to your geographic area.  I wish you the best of luck in your new venture!  

Other suggestions:  give your chicklets a nice big hunk of sod (upside down) within the first 2 weeks to jump start their immunity and gut flora, give them their first grit, lots of entertainment, first greens, and even their first bugs and dust bath!  (be sure it hasn't been treated with herbicides or insecticides)  Read the fermented feed thread.  FF is also an excellent way to improve your flock's nutrition and save on your feed bill.


I honest to gosh couldn't have said it better myself...all great ideas I use on my babies..once you use a heating pad mama, you'll never use another heat lamp..if there is a noticeable size difference in your groups, and you don't want to put up wire..you can easily use a dog crate and just set it inside the coop for a week or so and then in the 2nd week (or when ever you are comfortable with it), wire the door to the crate wide enough for the little ones bit too narrow for the big ones to get in..
 
Next question, which I hope I wont have to really deal with for 6 weeks, but three days before my chicks come home we had our hay field buzzed and is in the process of being baled. We have visitors! The flying bird of prey variety. We tracked them down and they have a nest/area they are inhabiting on our property, about 4-6 acres away from where our chickens will eventually be calling home. They arent an immediate threat to the guys as they will be inside in the brooder, but will they move on and leave? Or should i go shoo them off XD (how i dont even know)? I know that predators will always be a problem, but it makes me a little uneasy with them so close to the coop. And the coop doesnt have a run yet, so thats first on my list. Looking at getting hardware cloth instead of the chicken wire (its expensive though...)...

Thoughts and thoughts on good ideas for a run that i can build before the chicks get to their new home?
 
Hardware cloth is usually the better option, just because it will hold up longer than the chicken and a coon or possum will tear right through chicken wire but not the hardware.
For a temporary run, you could use something as simple as snow/deer netting and then hang stuff like CDs and pie tins like you would a garden.
The birds may move on after nesting, but freshly baled hay fields are full of mice and all sorts of other goodies that will probably keep them around a while. Short of shooting them if they are not a protected bird, your best option is to just make a run that is like a fortress..if you have a spot where you can put the run under trees so that flying predators don't have a clear shot to the run may help too.
 
You could also use 4x4s and make a mobile run..just picture a big rectangle box with wire on everything but the bottom. I use chain and tent stakes to make sure mine is anchored so that a dog or something g large can't flip it over..it also comes in super handy and keeps your girls from wearing one spot down to dirt.
 
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Amen, just as HappyHensFarmWV said in post # 6, think 'fortress' in planning your run. You can even buy light gauge (12 1/2) chain link fencing, 35.00 for a 50 foot roll, then you can get by with using 3 foot hardware cloth on the bottom. (Hardware cloth is 20.00 for a 3 foot by 25 foot roll)

With a system such as this you can be prepared and protected from most predators including snakes, raccoon's, fox, coyote, and neighborhood dogs, as HHFWV mentioned, regular chicken wire is barely useful for covering the top of your run. And there are dozens of great mobile (tractor) type runs and coops posted, I'm planning my next coop to be stationary, although the run will be movable in a circular pattern.
 
So a new question, we just got our chicks and they are happy in the brooder :), but working on the area I'm going to be building the run and a thunderstorm hit. Threw the tools into the chicken house and closed the door and half poking out from the top (where apparently theres a small gap) and a lovely little black snake was looking back at me half in my coop, half out. The door had been closed originally, so the snake somehow got in, and was chilling there, either stuck or thinking about what to do. I didnt even see the thing till after I had closed the door. So the simple question other than the obvious statement of i need to fix that door, is how worried should i be of the lesser snake varieties such as the black snake, as opposed to the copper heads (which the guineas will hopefully take care of)? And speaking of which, how many guineas SHOULD i have to be effective against the snakes etc? (question to all those guinea owners)
 
I have 5..haven't seen a snake this year at all.. I got them as day old keets in July so they were too young to really be effective for snakes last year but they started tearing up ticks at about 8 weeks as soon as I started letting them have outside time..
 

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