Adding a single chick to the flock

[rdnkmom]

I am very much new to raising chickens and need all the help and advice anyone can give. I have 4 chickens that I got at the beginning of April. They are all doing well and happy out in the coop and run. I was given 6 babies at the end of May but unfortunately, all but one passed away despite me hand feeding them and giving them medicine. I am now trying to figure out the best way to introduce the one baby that is doing well to the rest of my chickens. Any advice from anyone would be a big help.

 

[azygous]

Is the chick three weeks old? It's still small enough where you can begin to integrate by introducing it by keep it in a safe enclosure in direct proximity to the ten-week olds.

Where are you located? That will let us know your climate and other issues your location might influence your chickens.

If possible, climate permitting, keeping the chick with the older chicks day and night will expedite integration. After a week of being kept in proximity of the older chicks, small openings into the safe enclosure will allow the younger chick to come and go, giving it the options of exploring the pecking order while being able to run back to safety when it feels threatened. Food and water for the chick should be kept in this enclosure until it's too big to fit through the openings of approximately 4 x 7 inches.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Great advice above! Is there anyway you can get a similar aged chick it can bond with first, before integrating with the older ones? It is nice for them to have at least one buddy going in to a new group.

 

[rdnkmom]

Is the chick three weeks old? It's still small enough where you can begin to integrate by introducing it by keep it in a safe enclosure in direct proximity to the ten-week olds.

Where are you located? That will let us know your climate and other issues your location might influence your chickens.

If possible, climate permitting, keeping the chick with the older chicks day and night will expedite integration. After a week of being kept in proximity of the older chicks, small openings into the safe enclosure will allow the younger chick to come and go, giving it the options of exploring the pecking order while being able to run back to safety when it feels threatened. Food and water for the chick should be kept in this enclosure until it's too big to fit through the openings of approximately 4 x 7 inches.

I don't think that she is 3 weeks old probably more like 8 weeks. And the older ones are around 15 weeks I would think. I am located in Virginia. I did read that you can put her in a dog cage outside the run to try to get the older ones used to her. But it didn't say how long. So I put her out there today and she seemed to be alright. The older girls didn't seem to happy with me. They were very alot more vocal than they usually are with me. I have brought Ruby in for the night cause the older girls go in the coop at night. I am attaching some pictures of the chickens. And a picture of the coop (kinda sorry it isn't too good). I know I might sound like a crazy chicken lady but I also set up one of my security cameras next to the dog cage so I can watch her. Thank you so much for your help!!!!

 

[rdnkmom]

Great advice above! Is there anyway you can get a similar aged chick it can bond with first, before integrating with the older ones? It is nice for them to have at least one buddy going in to a new group.

I have asked around but no one seems to have one about her age. If I would have known more about chickens I would have gone and gotten atleast one more.

 

[Ascholten]

Unless they are VERY close in age, or all of a laying age, the new, smaller, younger one will most likely be bullied by the others. I noticed this with mine, the new ones got picked on quite a bit, and not just the normal pecking order thing, until they got to basically adult age. Make sure it has somewhere it can go to be away from the rest of them and alone if it needs to hide out a bit.

Aaron

 

[HuffleClaw]

I don't think that she is 3 weeks old probably more like 8 weeks. And the older ones are around 15 weeks I would think. I am located in Virginia. I did read that you can put her in a dog cage outside the run to try to get the older ones used to her. But it didn't say how long. So I put her out there today and she seemed to be alright. The older girls didn't seem to happy with me. They were very alot more vocal than they usually are with me. I have brought Ruby in for the night cause the older girls go in the coop at night. I am attaching some pictures of the chickens. And a picture of the coop (kinda sorry it isn't too good). I know I might sound like a crazy chicken lady but I also set up one of my security cameras next to the dog cage so I can watch her. Thank you so much for your help!!!!

Well that is a cockerel…. Hopefully you are able to keep male chickens But, you could try just letting him out and letting your flock sort the pecking order on their own. But if they do attack him to the point where you see blood, a slower integration process will be needed.

 

[rdnkmom]

Well that is a cockerel…. Hopefully you are able to keep male chickens But, you could try just letting him out and letting your flock sort the pecking order on their own. But if they do attack him to the point where you see blood, a slower integration process will be needed.

The lone one in the dog cage is a male?? No I am not allowed to keep male chickens in the town I live in. How can you tell? ( like I said I am very new to this)

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Clear, close up photos of head, side view and head on, showing comb will help determine with certainty.

 

[HuffleClaw]

The lone one in the dog cage is a male?? No I am not allowed to keep male chickens in the town I live in. How can you tell? ( like I said I am very new to this)

The comb is really red for the age of the bird.