Fill my brain with knowledge on new chicks!!!

[seth22]

Ok guys, I already have 3 Wyandotte Silvers that are about 2 yrs old, just bought 4 chicks, 2 Easters n 2 Brahmas, when should I introduce the chicks to the hens?
Should I wait til its warmed up enough to put them outside or wait til they are pullets?
The silvers I have now I didn't put outside til they about 2 months old, but seein as they adults now, should I still wait to put chicks with or would the hens take care of them?

 

[JenWillo]

It’s unlikely your hens will take care of chicks that they didn’t hatch.

I would suggest waiting until they are a similar size to try to integrate them.

 

[Featherheart]

Definitely wait till the chicks are older and can fend for themselves.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

i do most of my integration between 8 and 12 weeks, following a lengthy period of "see and be seen" by locating a mobile grow out pen into the area where the adult birds are ranging during the day for a week or more, followed by limited and supervised interactions in the pasture, inclusive of tossing scratch to see treat competition. Once they pass that test repeatedly, i consider them ready to fully integrate.

 

[rosemarythyme]

No the hens won't take care of them.

I integrate very early, by 4 weeks is my goal: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/short-on-time-recycle-a-prefab-brooder.73985/ . But I raise my chicks outside in order to do that.

How you handle integration depends on your facilities/set up and what your housing can hold as far as chicks as they grow up.