5 week old rocks

[victor1800]

Want know how old my 4 plymyth rock chickies need to be ,so i can put them in coop with my adult chickens . Should i keep them seperated by some fence in the coop? so they wont get beat up by the big girls. My chickies are about 5 weeks old now doing good in our basement brooder coop .and when do i stop medicated feed and start on layer? THX any help is appreciated

 

[debilorrah]

Keep them inside with a light until about 6-8 weeks old, then move them to a brooder outside still with the heat lamp, and keep them seperate yet visible to the others. Keep it like this for about 4 weeks, then make an opening so the chicks can get out but the bigger birds can't get in, leave it open. The chicks will venture out and have a place to run to if they get picked on. Once they reach about 16 weeks, close them in with the flock. Should be fine.!!

 

[whippet128]

good advice. once you mix them get ready for the pecking order to change. It will only take about a week. It is a natural thing.

 

[Hatrick]

Do you seriously need to keep them inside until they're 8 weeks??!! Why? I had heard 4-5 weeks.
And they still need a lamp outside for 4 weeks after that? I've never heard that, we don't have that kind of set up for electricity.
Won't they be alright if the temperature is high enough outside?

 

[columbiacritter]

You need to go by your weather for going outside. I put up a temporary fence in my run so once they have most their feathers they can discover being outside and be seen by the older hens on nice days I'm home. They come back in at night.

Once they've been out enougth the odler hens are used to them and therefore find them boring I start letting them mingle but ONLY supervised. usually toss a variety of treats around the run so everyone has a distraction.

By then the younger ones are fully feathered and the nights have warmed so I let them stay out and see what they do. If they are smart enough to follow the older girls into the coop to sleep I let them.

If not I go put them on a perch after dark.

 

[walkswithdog]

Hmm I was doing it wrong LOL I put them in the brooder out there with a light at four weeks, and released them with everyone at six weeks, the light was turned off at 7/8 weeks and voila, all is well.

But then adding as twice as many chickens to the group as I had chickens in the coop worked out. Too many to pick on.