i need help

[MissyMoo]

we have 4 five week old chicks and 3 1 year old chickens. Can we put them all out side together?or will the older chickens attack the babies

 

[miss_jayne]

they may. some people have luck with adding new birds at night when it is darker.

any time you add any birds, there is an upset to the peck order.

 

[karanleaf]

It's been expressed that you get the newer additions in some type of caged area to protect them from the others and have them side by side. This way they can see and smell each other but still not hurt them. This is our first year having chickens, so I have read a few posts here and asked a few folks I know how they do things too. We did this for a couple of days before putting a younger RIR hen in with our 4 - 4yr old hens and rooster. The older hens still chased her and pecked at her a bit after we finally let her loose in the run. But that is why they call it getting the pecking order straight, I guess. They are all fine now it's been 3 weeks now. We also have 5 week old chicks, but we will wait a bit longer before we start introducing them to the older birds. We have been taking their cages outside to spend most of the day in the shade scratching and eating grass.
I think we will wait another 2-3 weeks at least. But some may go ahead sooner. It's all up to the individual chicken keeper I guess.

 

[karanleaf]

Just read this post thought it might help us both

thread of
I intregrated my babies yesterday

Quote:

 

[Cheryl]

I have 2 bantams about 6 months old who hold themselves well with the "big" girls, on the other hand I have a partridge silkie, also about 6 months old and I have a glw who constantly goes at her!!! When things get ugly I separate them...the little ones have their own sleeping quarters