Hello, my name is Mandy

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BolliM

BolliM

Chirping
5 Years
Aug 13, 2014
17
3
59
South Jersey
My name is Mandy. I live in South Jersey. I'm new to the back yard chicken world. I have 5 lovely ladies...17 week old sex links. No eggs yet, but guessing they will start laying soon.

Question: Can we introduce new chick's ever year or so?
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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Sounds like these will be laying soon. When the combs, faces and wattles get really full and red, and the birds start to squat for you, the eggs should be coming down the pipes soon!

Yes, you can add new chicks at any time to a flock, but it needs to be done slowly over time. Chicks need to be at least 3 or 4 months of age. You can keep the young chicks in their own enclosure within the flock after they are 5 or 6 weeks of age, but don't mix them in until they are larger so they have the ability to escape or won't injure easily.

But when they are old enough, you can then let them out with the flock as long as you have kept them with the flock for several weeks. If you are introducing brand new birds, you will need to keep them separated for several weeks in a cage or fenced off area within the flock at all times. Everybody sees, nobody touches. This also acts as a quarantine period against diseases that can infect your existing flock. After several weeks if everybody is healthy, you can release them in the flock. But always put out extra feeding and watering stations so the newbies don't have to compete. The older flock will try to run them off. And of course if you see any blood shed, always intervene. It takes about a month or more for new birds to really get mixed into a flock.

Here is a nice article from our learning center on mixing in new birds...https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

Good luck with your flock and all your adventures!
 
Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

X2 you can add new birds any time of year and every year. The see but don't touch method is the most effective and safe way to introduce. This involves placing a barrier in between the two groups of birds so they can meet and see each other but not reach and peck each other. After at least 2-3 weeks you can let them mix. Make sure to provide extra waterers, feeders and hideaways. It'll take them a bit to sort themselves out but it should all work out.

It's recommended to wait until the new birds are 12 weeks old. But if using the see but don't touch method, you can start as early as 8 weeks.

Good luck and welcome to our flock!
 
Thank you so much. Actually, one of my girls has a bright red comb and every time I go out to the pen, she squats and shakes and flaps her wings on the ground. I didn't know what or why she was doing that. Guess she is gonna be my first layer.
 
BolliM said:
Thank you so much. Actually, one of my girls has a bright red comb and every time I go out to the pen, she squats and shakes and flaps her wings on the ground. I didn't know what or why she was doing that. Guess she is gonna be my first layer.
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Sounds like she is about ready to lay! Make sure to get them on layer feed and oystershell on the side now.

Enjoy those first eggs!!
 
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Glad you joined us! Feel free to ask plenty of questions! You can introduce new birds at any time, but make sure the new birds are healthy, and be ready to intervene if they get picked on. And it sounds like your pullets are about to lay you some eggs!
 
BolliM said:
Thank you so much. Actually, one of my girls has a bright red comb and every time I go out to the pen, she squats and shakes and flaps her wings on the ground. I didn't know what or why she was doing that. Guess she is gonna be my first layer.
Click to expand...
Yup, those eggs will be coming down the pipes soon!
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Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. You've received some good advice from other BYC members and a good link from TwoCrows. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Are your sex link chickens Black Sex Links or Red Sex Links?
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! You've gotten some good advice/links above about adding to your flock . Sounds like you should have eggs soon!
 

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