Adding New Chicks to Existing Flock - Questions and Anxieties

[NatJ]

Do you have to worry about them getting sick from the older chickens? Our girls are healthy, or at least they seem healthy to me. I know next to nothing about the chicken immune system or anything like that, so I wasn't sure if they needed to be in a brooder when they were babies for health reasons as well.

That does not seem to be a problem with chickens.
Just keep the chicks dry, and at the correct temperature, and they should be fine.

Do you have to do anything special to brood the chicks in the coop? We will be getting day old chicks. Could they go straight into a brooder in the coop? Or is it better to wait a couple weeks?

They can go straight into a brooder in the coop, as long as the brooder provides what they need:
--protection from weather (rain, snow, wind, too much sun)
--protection from predators (including cats, adult chickens, etc.)
--correct temperature (one place about 95-100 degrees so the chicks can get warm any time they want, and lots of cool space so they can move away from the heat when they choose)
--water and food (chick starter)

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do you have to worry about them getting sick from the older chickens? Our girls are healthy, or at least they seem healthy to me. I know next to nothing about the chicken immune system or anything like that, so I wasn't sure if they needed to be in a brooder when they were babies for health reasons as well.

In my opinion it's better to expose them to whatever the adults have and whatever is in the environment early on, so they can begin building immunity to it.

The exception would be if you opt to have them vaccinated, the vaccines need 2 or 3 weeks to kick in, so if you had them vaccinated for Mareks for example and your flock has it, early exposure would trump the vaccine. My entire flock has been vaccinated (that's how my feed stores sell 'em) so I don't take the precaution of separating the chicks.

Do you have to do anything special to brood the chicks in the coop? We will be getting day old chicks. Could they go straight into a brooder in the coop? Or is it better to wait a couple weeks?

Yes they can go straight into the coop - some people fence off part of the coop, or utilize dog crates or some other cage. Main thing is to make sure that the adults and any possible pests or predators cannot get into the brooder, and that you can reliably run power to it in order to provide heat.

 

[PetesChicks]

My last couple batches of chicks were started with the mama heating pad, it worked great for me, and lots of others.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/

The last batch I did right in the coop, I think it was about mid to late May. I had the brooder pen closed off from the rest of the coop so the ladies could see them but not get at them. At about 2 or 3 weeks I started using the little door method, with 2 doors that the chicks could get through but the adults couldn’t, like @NatJ mentioned.

This lets them explore the coop, and be able to get to a safe zone. A few little squabbles, but for the most part no problems and nothing serious. Within a couple weeks of having access to the whole coop, they stopped using the safe space at night and started sleeping on the ramp to the roosts. It took about another week before they were confident enough to get on the roost itself for the night, but again no safety issues.

Good luck with the new babies!

 

[CaretakerCarol]

Okay, thanks for the heads up! I'm dreading the "mean girl" phase. We had a mean girl and she got killed in August. So far, no one has taken over for her (for which I was grateful) and I'm not looking for ward to it again. My sweet girl that was the bottom-of-the-barrel has been so happy since then.

When you integrate them at night, do you just put them on the roost with the others?

Yes, we put them in one at a time and find them a place on the roosts. There is usually some wing flapping and feet shuffling, but the hens are in night-mode and settle right back down. In the morning, when everyone is up and ready to be released back to the yard, you will probably find the new girls tucked away in the back because the older girls know they are new and will not allow them to wait at the door with the rest of them.

We always leave the secondary home up for a few nights (3 at the most) and some of the new hens may go back to the brooder pen the 2nd night. We again place them into the main coop. After 3 nights, I take down the brooder pen so that the new hens know they have to go to the main coop. Take advantage of a chickens intense need to stay roosted once the night comes rather than trying to chase them around just before bed time.

 

[Duppy]

I am currently adding three hens to my existing flock of 10. Currently they are separated from each other by fencing but inside the run with the flock. My quandary is the month old rooster I need to integrate. He is spending his days in a crate, also in the run with everyone. Does anyone have any input on how to make this a "smooth as possible" transmission?