Adding new chickens

[Bjcm]

My current flock consists of a buff Cochin hen, a buff Cochin rooster, and a Ameraucana hen. I recently got 6 baby Australorps and 4 baby yellow ones( can't remember the name of them). The babies should be ready next month to go in the coop with the others. My question is how I do this? I have heard so many different ways.

Thanks in advanced.

 

[JadeFarms]

Yes, there is many ways to do this. I have done it a few ways.

The first way is to put them in a cage inside the cage the others are in. This way they can get used to each other without all the fighting and pecking. Tip: keep them by where you feed the adult chickens because that’s where it’s the hardest for them to get welcomed, that will get the adults used to being around. That’s what I do. Leave them like that for about a week, make sure they can still free run though.

The next way is to just put them in there. This works, but they can get hurt and pecked a lot easier. It takes less time this way though. If they don’t peck at each other a bunch of times, like every time their near eachother, then they should be good. Hope this helps!

 

[Mrs. K]

I vote for getting them into the coop by 3-4 weeks. I section off a corner of the run, with a shelter in it. Put the chicks in that, and feed and water them there. I call this the safety zone. Fist week I keep it so the chicks can't get out. Second week, lift the fence off the ground, so as the chicks can go in and out, but a big chicken cannot follow them.

This puts all the control into natural chicken society. It pulls the humans out of it. Gradually the chicks will explore outside of the saftey zone, the chickens may give a little chase or a peck and the chicks will retreat (which is what a lower chicken in pecking order does) to the safety zone.

In a week to 10 days, the chicks will be running all over, and the hens ignore them most of the time. An occasional mind your manners peck or stance.

However, my run is cluttered, I have mini shelters in the run, I have roosts, and platforms and hideouts in my run. These allow chickens to get away from each other, and get out of sight of each other. I have multiple feed stations each positioned so that a bird eating at one, cannot see a bird eating at another. With chicks, long after I have dismantled the safety zone, I feed them under a low pallet just 6 inches off the ground. A hen can get there, but it is slow and uncomfortable, and most will eat at an easier station, leaving the feed for the chicks.

Mrs K

ps - that will be a lot more chickens - are you doing a bigger coop?

 

[Bjcm]

I vote for getting them into the coop by 3-4 weeks. I section off a corner of the run, with a shelter in it. Put the chicks in that, and feed and water them there. I call this the safety zone. Fist week I keep it so the chicks can't get out. Second week, lift the fence off the ground, so as the chicks can go in and out, but a big chicken cannot follow them.

This puts all the control into natural chicken society. It pulls the humans out of it. Gradually the chicks will explore outside of the saftey zone, the chickens may give a little chase or a peck and the chicks will retreat (which is what a lower chicken in pecking order does) to the safety zone.

In a week to 10 days, the chicks will be running all over, and the hens ignore them most of the time. An occasional mind your manners peck or stance.

However, my run is cluttered, I have mini shelters in the run, I have roosts, and platforms and hideouts in my run. These allow chickens to get away from each other, and get out of sight of each other. I have multiple feed stations each positioned so that a bird eating at one, cannot see a bird eating at another. With chicks, long after I have dismantled the safety zone, I feed them under a low pallet just 6 inches off the ground. A hen can get there, but it is slow and uncomfortable, and most will eat at an easier station, leaving the feed for the chicks.

Mrs K

ps - that will be a lot more chickens - are you doing a bigger coop?

We currently have a big coop just for the three we have that's why we got more. We just need to make some more places for roosting. How much room do you recommend for each chicken?

 

[feathermaid]

However you do it, the older chickens should be able to visit and "see" the new ones for a while and get used to them. Free range time together is always a good intro, when the newbies have plenty of space to run away. I believe sooner is better... small chicks are easily ignored while bigger ones start to look like competition and a threat to their resources. Add multiple food and water stations.

I'm in the process of integrating now, my chicks are 4 weeks old and already mingling with the flock in the run and coop but still have their safety zone as @Mrs. K described. Last year I had only 2 adult hens and my 3 new chicks were roosting alongside them at 5 weeks. But this year, I have only 2 babies going in with 4 adults which may or may not be more tricky. They have all been visiting with each other since babies were 1.5 weeks old.


Last year:

We currently have a big coop just for the three we have that's why we got more. We just need to make some more places for roosting. How much room do you recommend for each chicken?

See this article:
How Much Room Do Chickens Need

Here's some more helpful links:
See But Don’t Touch
Integrating at 4 weeks old
Coop Brooder and Integration

 

[aart]

We currently have a big coop just for the three we have that's why we got more. We just need to make some more places for roosting. How much room do you recommend for each chicken?

How big is 'big' in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics(inside and out) would help immensely here.

@FlappyFeathers has provided some great links.
Brooding in coop and early integration(4-6wks) has worked really well for me.
Do you have power in the coop for chick heat?

Also......
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!