raise this year's chicks with 1 lonely hen?

[kyflock]

I have never combined ages when I raised chicks... except for maybe a week or two apart from each other. We have 2-3 coops that we rotate out according to the hens' ages, basically. My leftover older flock have mostly gone rogue... My barred rock moved out when her buddy passed on and now lives with my guineas (how she can stand them I don't know)... my 2 mystery black hens have moved in with the goats (?) but my one sweet orpington is left in the coop all by herself. So... I want to raise my newbies in that coop... it simplifies it SOOO much when I can just keep them in there once they're old enough to move out of the house... But what are the chances of letting my poor Orpington stay in there with them? She's pretty sweet and docile.

What's the advice from people who've done this? Is it mostly just try and observe to see how they do? Or is it more predictable than that? I have never combined ages until the chicks were probably at least 3 -4 months or so...

thanks!

 

[LoveThemBirds]

I would watch them first.Birds may be sweet,but do not like change,meaning newcomers too.
She may accept the chicks,mainly because she is rogue.

A bird as in chickens,have immediate reaction when in a new area with new birds,ir with newcomers.The hen would have different reaction towards the chicks though,maybe at first sight she might growl or drop her wings,but soon enough.The chicks might have different feelings for her as they adapt to her.

 

[lazy gardener]

My recommendation would be to move them in with her, as soon as it's feasible, with supplemental heat, if they still need it... if the coop is such that that could be done SAFELY. You would want to give them a divided space. How old would they be when you move them out? You'll just have to keep an eye on the situation, and eventually allow them to mingle with her. (I'd wait until they are at least 6 - 8 weeks old, and then give them a closed off safe area that they can come and go from, and that she can't get into.

I realize that this post is kind of rambling, and confusing. If it's totally muddy, let me know, and I'll try to clear it up!

 

[kyflock]

naw... that makes sense! It's sort of what I've done before... It's a bigish and safe coop... They'll start in the house... but I would love it if they could move out at 4 weeks... I think I'll start thinking on how to split the coop in two with chicken wire (I did it once to raise 2 different ages of guineas together.

Thanks!

 

[LoveThemBirds]

4 weeks is reasonable....