Adding chicks to existing flock

[ChickenMamaC]

We have a flock of six one-year-old hens, having recently lost one to sour crop. We would like to round our flock out to 8, but I have a couple questions.

1) is there any reason to not raise just two babies? I have a secure indoor brooder set-up.
2) at 6-7 weeks, I plan to move them into a mini-coop in the run so that the older gals can get used to seeing them without having to interact. Good plan?
3) at what age can we let them interact outside, free-ranging? And ad what age can we remove the mini-coop and expect them to integrate into the regular coop with ten rest of the flock?

Thanks so much!

 

[azygous]

Years ago, I figured out that baby chicks raised in close proximity to adult chickens have a terrific advantage when it comes to integration. Since the adults get accustomed to seeing the chicks from day one, the chicks are ready to begin mingling with the adults as early as two weeks with the appropriate safety considerations.

Check out my article. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-start-raising-your-chicks-outdoors.71995/

If you can handle it, four chicks are a much better number than just two. Chicks derive their self confidence from being part of a posse, and four chicks, in my experience, is a much better number in this regard.

As far as free ranging, the chicks will judge when they are ready. My chicks will begin to pop out of the run around six weeks for quick, thrilling tastes of the big world and then slowly gain confidence to wander farther. They know they are easy prey while small, so this process requires several weeks before they are fully ranging.

 

[Ridgerunner]

1) is there any reason to not raise just two babies? I have a secure indoor brooder set-up.

Personally I'd do a minimum of three. Chickens are social animals and do better with other chickens around. If you get two and lose one, you only have one lonely chick.

2) at 6-7 weeks, I plan to move them into a mini-coop in the run so that the older gals can get used to seeing them without having to interact. Good plan?

Yes, good plan. In New Mexico this time of the year you could move them out at 4 weeks if you wish.

3) at what age can we let them interact outside, free-ranging? And ad what age can we remove the mini-coop and expect them to integrate into the regular coop with ten rest of the flock?

My brooder is in the coop so a bit of a different set-up. My brooder-raised chicks are raised with the flock, not added later. At five weeks I open the brooder door and let them mingle. My main coop is large and mine have a lot of room outside. I'm not sure what your coop looks like. My outside space is more like 60 to 80 square feet per chicken, not the 10 square feet you so often read about on here.

Sometimes at 5 weeks I move them to my grow-out coop, somewhat similar to your mini-coop, instead of just letting them mix. I keep them in that grow-out coop/run until I'm sure they will return there at night. That's usually a couple of weeks. Then I let them roam with the flock during the day and return to their own sleep space at night.

After they have been roaming with the adults during the day for over a month (about 12 weeks old) I move them into my main coop at night and lock the grow-out coop. Sometimes I only have to do this once, sometimes they try to sleep near the grow-out coop so I have to move them into the main coop a few nights before they get the message.

I don't know what your coop looks like. Mine is large and is set up for integration. The chicks have places to hide. I put in a juvenile roost, lower and horizontally separated from the main roosts and higher than the nests. Sometimes when I do this I have a dozen chicks, sometimes only about four. Some people say that having more chicks helps, I tend to agree with them but haven't really had any problems. But this is another reason for three instead of two.

My pullets do not sleep on the main roosts with the adults until they start to lay. They get beat up if they try it. That's why I put in the juvenile roost, give them a safer place to go that is not my nests.

My definition of a successful integration is that no one gets hurt. As long as they don't sleep in my nests and they stay away from predators they can do what they want, sleep where they want. I try to not force them to integrate or stay close together, I let them work that out on their own.

 

[ChickenMamaC]

Years ago, I figured out that baby chicks raised in close proximity to adult chickens have a terrific advantage when it comes to integration. Since the adults get accustomed to seeing the chicks from day one, the chicks are ready to begin mingling with the adults as early as two weeks with the appropriate safety considerations.

Check out my article. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-start-raising-your-chicks-outdoors.71995/

If you can handle it, four chicks are a much better number than just two. Chicks derive their self confidence from being part of a posse, and four chicks, in my experience, is a much better number in this regard.

As far as free ranging, the chicks will judge when they are ready. My chicks will begin to pop out of the run around six weeks for quick, thrilling tastes of the big world and then slowly gain confidence to wander farther. They know they are easy prey while small, so this process requires several weeks before they are fully ranging.

If I raised them outside in the mini coop, would they need a heat source? It's 85-ish degrees outside, but I also do not have electricity in or near my coop/ run.

 

[azygous]

During the day, the chicks would need not heat at those temps, but at night, it would be a good idea since they won't be actively processing calories from food for body heat.

I use the heating pad method to brood outdoors, and the chicks will automatically wean themselves off heat with this method. Also, a heating pad will not add to the oppressive summer heat as a heat lamp would.

 

[cmom]

You have been given great advice. Everyone's situation and setup is different. Remember when you integrate there will be a reestablishing of a pecking order when you introduce the younger birds. I usually make sure they are nearly the same size as the adults. Often times the older birds will try to assert their dominance over the younger one establishing their pecking order even though they may be in an area right next to the adults. Once you put them together watch them to see how they interact. Good luck and have fun...

 

[Julie dingman evans]

We have a flock of six one-year-old hens, having recently lost one to sour crop. We would like to round our flock out to 8, but I have a couple questions.

1) is there any reason to not raise just two babies? I have a secure indoor brooder set-up.
2) at 6-7 weeks, I plan to move them into a mini-coop in the run so that the older gals can get used to seeing them without having to interact. Good plan?
3) at what age can we let them interact outside, free-ranging? And ad what age can we remove the mini-coop and expect them to integrate into the regular coop with ten rest of the flock?

Thanks so much!

That sounds like a good plan! I’m not sure weather 2 or 3 is better (because we’ve never got just two) but you can integrate them with the other birds when they are the same size. There will be some curfluffles, but as long as they don’t really hurt each they’ll be ok.