adding new chickens

[heather15]

Can I add younger (10 week) birds to an older (3 1/2 to 4 1/2 mo) flock?

I have 4 Bantams with their own rooster who share a coop at night and free-range during the day with 10 standard birds and rooster. They are the survivors of the infamous Saturday night dog massacre. I had people say to me that chickens are stupid and will forget all about it by the next morning. Not so! A day and a half later they are all walking on their toenails, so to speak, wary about leaving the roost, spook easily at noises, stick close by me and put themselves to be at 7:00pm last night. I want to rebuild the flock but wonder if I should wait a week or so. What about the age difference?

Thanks for help.

 

[peteyfoozer]

Well, chickens might be stupid about SOME things, but my experience is they have long memories! My 6 mo old birds remember when my Maremma pups (who now GUARD and PROTECT them) thought they were squeaky toys. They scream everytime one of them walks in the pen. However, I have nine 6-week-old pullets that have been recently free ranging, and the bigger chickens have been free ranging, and last nite when I went to close everyone's doors the little guys were roosting with the big 'uns in their coop!! I guess they handled it themselves!