my chicks are 100% in their coop at night and right now at night it is between 50-68 degrees. should I keep my heat lamp on at night?
I've had chicks about 5-1/2 weeks old go through nights in the mid 20's Fahrenheit. Your 10 week olds have not needed that lamp for a month. Get rid if it.
I would like to add more chicks to my flock. I only have 3 at the moment but would like to add easter eggers and olive eggers. should I wait till next spring or it will be easier to integrate new chicks when mine are still young.
You don't get guarantees with living animals when it comes to behaviors. I integrate young chicks with mature adults all the time. I integrate younger chicks with older but still immature chicks all the time. More mature chickens, whether adults or adolescents, always outrank more immature chickens in the pecking order. Some are pretty free to enforce those pecking order rights while others are a lot more laid back about it, especially when their private space is invaded. I find the worst are adolescent cockerels but you can get a mature hen or an adolescent pullet that causes real problems too.
What age will your chicks be and what age will the new ones be when you try to integrate them if you go ahead now? That maturity difference can be important when evaluating your question. If they are about the same age it will probably be easier to integrate now. If there is a big age difference it probably doesn't matter which way you go.
Some questions are much more important than which is easier if there is a maturity difference. What do your facilities look like? How big are any coops and runs you have in feet or meters? How are they linked? Do you free range? Are you willing to build new facilities or modifications if necessary? Basically, what do you have to work with?
When you integrate you need additional space, extra room in the coop and extra room in the run. When there is a maturity difference you need even more space and usually room to separate them for a while. There are many tricks we use when it comes to integration, if we know something about your facilities we might be able to offer special methods that fit your circumstances. To me, the main thing you need is sufficient room for the younger ones to be able to get away from any aggressive older chicken and to avoid them in the first place.
My answer to your question is that when they are all going to be the same age or maturity level is by far the best time. But if there is much of a maturity difference it doesn't matter which way you go. I'd get them now so you can enjoy them. But if you have not integrated before, give us some idea of your facilities, hopefully with photos, so we can help you plan how you should go about that.
Good luck!
I've had chicks about 5-1/2 weeks old go through nights in the mid 20's Fahrenheit. Your 10 week olds have not needed that lamp for a month. Get rid if it.
I would like to add more chicks to my flock. I only have 3 at the moment but would like to add easter eggers and olive eggers. should I wait till next spring or it will be easier to integrate new chicks when mine are still young.
You don't get guarantees with living animals when it comes to behaviors. I integrate young chicks with mature adults all the time. I integrate younger chicks with older but still immature chicks all the time. More mature chickens, whether adults or adolescents, always outrank more immature chickens in the pecking order. Some are pretty free to enforce those pecking order rights while others are a lot more laid back about it, especially when their private space is invaded. I find the worst are adolescent cockerels but you can get a mature hen or an adolescent pullet that causes real problems too.
What age will your chicks be and what age will the new ones be when you try to integrate them if you go ahead now? That maturity difference can be important when evaluating your question. If they are about the same age it will probably be easier to integrate now. If there is a big age difference it probably doesn't matter which way you go.
Some questions are much more important than which is easier if there is a maturity difference. What do your facilities look like? How big are any coops and runs you have in feet or meters? How are they linked? Do you free range? Are you willing to build new facilities or modifications if necessary? Basically, what do you have to work with?
When you integrate you need additional space, extra room in the coop and extra room in the run. When there is a maturity difference you need even more space and usually room to separate them for a while. There are many tricks we use when it comes to integration, if we know something about your facilities we might be able to offer special methods that fit your circumstances. To me, the main thing you need is sufficient room for the younger ones to be able to get away from any aggressive older chicken and to avoid them in the first place.
My answer to your question is that when they are all going to be the same age or maturity level is by far the best time. But if there is much of a maturity difference it doesn't matter which way you go. I'd get them now so you can enjoy them. But if you have not integrated before, give us some idea of your facilities, hopefully with photos, so we can help you plan how you should go about that.
Good luck!
I will remove the light tonight. My chicks are 10 weeks old at the moment. here is a pic of my coop (building on the left). it is pretty big so i'm pretty sure there would be enough space for them to run an hide. I have not let them free range yet. I would like to but we have a 1 acre lot and it is not fenced.
