Adding miscellaneous chicks to assorted flocks?

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I am restructuring my flock setup and I'm not quite sure how to achieve this with a minimum of fuss. Here are my assorted scenarios:

- Chicks hatched in the banty coop back in early December. They are almost feathered out and are still hanging out with mama most of the time. Three of the chicks are standard size and will eventually need to move to the big girl coop. At what age do I move them and what is the least traumatic way to do this? The banty coop and big girl coop share a common wired side so they have seen each other from the beginning.

- At least two of the chicks are roosters. They are really pretty and I'd like to keep at least one. Can I add him as a young roo in with his buff orp daddy and have them coexist peacefully after the baby reaches maturity?

- When you get Tractor Supply day olds do you still quarantine them for 30 days?

- I have two standards in with my banties and one of them has had her muff picked off by somebody else in there. I can't figure out who is doing the picking. They were raised with the other big girls and seperated back in the summer. They do share a common wire wall currently. I want to pull both EEs out and add them in with the big girls in hopes of fixing the picking problem. What's the best way of adding these two in without causing world war 3 in there?

Thanks for the help!

 

[MissPrissy]

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The chicks need to be about 16 weeks old before they can defend themselves against the older chickens. Adding them to the 'big girl coop' is going to shake up the pecking order and will have a week or two of adjustment. Even with seeing one another through the wire the older chickens will attempt to attack the newer ones to the pen to show them who is boss. They can also starve them out and make them hide in the corners. You need to use a big dog kennel if you can and put the new chickens in the kennel with the kennel inside the big girl coop. After about a week open the door and see what happens. Things can go smoothly anbd sometimes things can go badly and you will have bloody picked chickens. If the worst happens remove them from the coop all together. Doctor their wounds and do not try again until they are completely healed.

Quote:
Same as above. Sometimes roosters can live together but most often they fight. The older one will not tolerate the new one coming into his hen house. More than 1 rooster to as many as 12 hens is too many roosters. Not only will the roosters eventually fight but the hens will be over mated which will create troubles for you too.

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I do not add live birds to my flock. I would still quarantine them for a while from the flock in a brooder of their own.

Quote:
Same as above. Introduce them to the flock in a closed wire cage or kennel. Watch for fighting and picking. Someone has to be the lowest in pecking order and they have to work it out for themselves.

The chicken world can be a very cold cruel place. It is nature's way of keep a flock strong.

 

[Chix-in-GA]

MissPrissy...Your title should read "Poultry Pedagog"

Thanks for your teachings!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Thanks, MissPrissy!
I hate to upset the chicken world order, but some rearranging has to happen. Thanks for the tips!