Help!! When should I add my new chicks to the flock?

[Tyler Matthesen]

Hello, I have 6 barred rocks that are about a month and a half old. My question is when should I add them into the big coop with my 5 red sex link hens and bantam dark Cornish rooster? My older chickens should start laying late this month or early next month. When they are all in the yard my red sex links chase the chicks around quite a bit. Is this normal pecking order behavior?

 

[esme13]

I have read post of over 12weeks. Usually around 14-16 weeks from what I read. It's just to allow the chicks to be big enough to defend them selves. As for the chasing, the larger hens are actually threaten by the chicks, just keep a close eye. I know my hens which are a year are not thrill seeing the 7 weeks olds in the yard. I have one flare at the chicks and squack. However she has not pecked at them, just doesn't like them. The other siblings including the top of the pecking order have no issue. Again they are not in the coop and at some point I will put the chicks in a crate in their coop.

 

[Tyler Matthesen]

Thank you, I put them in the coop tonight with a supervised test run and they are doing "okay" should I pull them out for now or leave them. There is a peck from one of the hens every now and then but not a whole lot

 

[Tyler Matthesen]

My coop is a 10x10 with only 12 birds in it. As of right now the chicks are in one corner eating and the hens are in the other corner on there roost.

 

[esme13]

How did it go? It depends on your flock and help accepting they are. If they seem not happy and the young ones are frighten than keep them separate but in eye view and allow them to hang out in the daytime.

 

[Tyler Matthesen]

It went well, it will take time for them to be accepted into the flock. I have the chicks in a large dog kennel inside the coop to keep them from being pecked. My big hens will reach through the wire and eat out of the same feeder with the chicks with no problem! I hope everything goes well

 

[esme13]

That's basically my same set up. The chicks sleep in it at night and during the day they are hanging out with the hens. I just make sure there are plenty of fresh veggies and fruits to keep both busy from pecking. I've only seen a little pecking to none. It just depends on the birds.

 

[Tyler Matthesen]

How long did it take them to start getting along? My birds have a little over a acre of yard that they like to roam around but have access to more. Is it best to keep them in a run while your trying to get them to become part of the flock?

 

[SoonerMykah]

Its usually a couple of weeks before all the drama sorts itself out when introducing new ones.

 

[esme13]

If the chicks are stand offish, give them access outside the run. I know from watching my hens they do like the bully the young ones. My young ones were in the coop in a corner and acted very nervous around the older hens. The older hens are not being vicious but they do react a bit mean to darting nervous chicks. The chicks for now are allowed to be out of the run from the hens in the day and in the night they are in their cage inside the coop. It is work in progress. It will take a few weeks and as the chicks get larger they can defend them selves from being bullied.