Adding new chicks to current flock

[BiggDeal]

Hello
We have 7 chickens currently all get along fine
2 silkies one fluffy one satin,
Two buff Orpingtons,
Two Red sexlinks,
One Silver laced Wyandotte

We are looking to add 5-6 more
Which would be
One Fizzle/ Polish this would be one of each so 2
One Speckled Sussex possibly two
One Oliver/ Easter Egger possibly one of each and do away with next one
One either Welshmen or barred
One Ameraucana

Any tips on when the new chicks are ready for coop how to get them all together easily with no fighting ?

 

[DobieLover]

Can you please post pictures of your current setup?

 

[WoDia]

Hello
We have 7 chickens currently all get along fine
2 silkies one fluffy one satin,
Two buff Orpingtons,
Two Red sexlinks,
One Silver laced Wyandotte

We are looking to add 5-6 more
Which would be
One Fizzle/ Polish this would be one of each so 2
One Speckled Sussex possibly two
One Oliver/ Easter Egger possibly one of each and do away with next one
One either Welshmen or barred
One Ameraucana

Any tips on when the new chicks are ready for coop how to get them all together easily with no fighting ?

Try the see but no touch method by placing the new chickens in their own sectioned off area. That way, they can see the other chickens, but there’s no risk of harm. Then, integrate slowly by allowing them to interact with the others. Monitor that closely. When they are near the same size as your existing flock, they should be able to take care of themselves if you provide multiple food and water stations, along with places for them them to escape to if needed. Good wishes for your flock!

 

[Yardmom]

There are a variety of ways that people integrate chicks into an existing flock. I personally use the idea that the younger they are the less of a threat they are perceived to be. I put my chicks in a fenced off corner with a hole that chicks can go in and out of, but full sized birds can't. I have done this with chicks that were only a few days old. If I didn't t put heat in the coop I would put them in around 5 weeks.

 

[BiggDeal]

Can you please post pictures of your current setup?

Sure. Coop is 8x6 not including nesting boxes and it’s walk in 7 foot high or 6.5. I know my husband is 6”2 and can walk / stand no problem except on slanted size as it’s shed style
Home build with a 16x 8 run and we are going to be adding in to that and allowing some free range when it’s warmer we have moved nesting boxes out to built out area this was when not all the way finished! I want to add all my chickens currently are not aggressive and are friendly

 

[BiggDeal]

Sure. Coop is 8x6 not including nesting boxes and it’s walk in 7 foot high or 6.5. I know my husband is 6”2 and can walk / stand no problem except on slanted size as it’s shed style
Home build with a 16x 8 run and we are going to be adding in to that and allowing some free range when it’s warmer we have moved nesting boxes out to built out area this was when not all the way finished! I want to add all my chickens currently are not aggressive and are friendly

We still have a few trim pieces to add and a lil paint touch up but we ran out of time before winter and chicks were ready to go outside
We have 5 windows a poop shelf we scoop regularly we are thinking of adding on 4 more foot of run and another smaller coop and chicken tunnels through our garden area We have heated water and food container that holds 5 gallons and we are working on putting a camera in area too. We have solar lights Coop is insulated to keep warm in winter and cooler in summer and we have 5 windows for ventilation …it’s been predator proofed best we could do we even buried 1/4 inch hardwire in ground down 18 inches to 2 foot……. back of coop and under coop area corrugated metal all around outside and roof of run is corrugated metal as well

 

[rosemarythyme]

What are you plans as far as brooding? Looks like you have electricity available there so if you haven't already, I'd consider brooding in the coop or the run to get the earliest possible start on integration.

You're going to want more junk in the run once they're ready to meet. Everything you have in there right now is pushed to the corners and walls, which isn't optimal for breaking line of sight when the chicks are going to be looking for hiding spots when the adults chase them around during face to face integration.

I brood outdoors and the chicks start mingling with the adults as early as 10 days with supervision. My goal is to have them integrated at around 4 weeks. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/short-on-time-recycle-a-prefab-brooder.73985/

 

[Happy hen lover]

You have a nice setup.

We still have a few trim pieces to add and a lil paint touch up but we ran out of time before winter and chicks were ready to go outside
We have 5 windows a poop shelf we scoop regularly we are thinking of adding on 4 more foot of run and another smaller coop and chicken tunnels through our garden area We have heated water and food container that holds 5 gallons and we are working on putting a camera in area too. We have solar lights Coop is insulated to keep warm in winter and cooler in summer and we have 5 windows for ventilation …it’s been predator proofed best we could do we even buried 1/4 inch hardwire in ground down 18 inches to 2 foot……. back of coop and under coop area corrugated metal all around outside and roof of run is corrugated metal as well

You have a nice setup. They're great articles in leaning sections out integrating new birds to existing flocks. Personally I did the " see no touch" method but my coop has an addition( chicken math!!!) that I sectioned off till chicks we're 12 weeks or so. There's always going to be scuffles but that's pecking order as long as no blood or injury you have to let it happen. In my own flock my pullets from last year that are just laying have been picking on my girls that picked on them last year!! KARMA !

 

[AlisonBradley]

Hello
We have 7 chickens currently all get along fine
2 silkies one fluffy one satin,
Two buff Orpingtons,
Two Red sexlinks,
One Silver laced Wyandotte

We are looking to add 5-6 more
Which would be
One Fizzle/ Polish this would be one of each so 2
One Speckled Sussex possibly two
One Oliver/ Easter Egger possibly one of each and do away with next one
One either Welshmen or barred
One Ameraucana

Any tips on when the new chicks are ready for coop how to get them all together easily with no fighting ?

We did the same thing last year. We were told to do the look but no touch introduction when meant we needed a second coop. We started just by having the two coops near each other. One flock could be out in the yard at a time. Eventually we put had the two flocks in the yard at the same time but supervised interactions. The plan was for the 5 adults and 4 chicks to eventually all share the big coop. What we wound up doing at the end of summer was moving our Rhode Island Reds to the small coop and putting the new batch in with the 2 Sapphire Gems. Our reds are fairly aggressive with the other birds. You will have some fighting because they need to establish a new pecking order and some breeds like the RIR are more aggressive than others. This is why you will need to supervise early interactions - death can occur when mixing flocks especially when rushed. They need to establish their hierarchy.

 

[BiggDeal]

Can you please post pictures of your current setup?

Sure!