Adding new chicks

[Adrienne-m]

We are wanting to add to our flock. We were hoping to incubate some eggs from our hens but our current hens are about 20
Weeks old and I don’t know how to go
About adding babies with the girls. We are having to get rid of our rooster as he has started attacking our kids so we will either incubate some ASAP before he is gone or get more from the hatchery. I don’t want to raise them in the house again and we don’t have a barn yet and the hatchery said I have to keep them
Separate for 20
Weeks. Any advice?

 

[azygous]

Do you have a secure run or coop? I brood in my run and the baby chicks grow up right alongside the big chickens, automatically integrating. Here's a run-down on how and why I do it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-start-raising-your-chicks-outdoors.71995/

 

[rosemarythyme]

I would not incubate eggs from a 20 week old pullet and an aggressive cockerel - pullet eggs are too small for good chick development and the cockerel could possibly pass on some of his personality traits to offspring.

If you want to incubate eggs you could buy hatching eggs from someone who has breeds you're interested in, or skip all that and simply buy chicks. Early integration is possible but does take some preplanning - azygous has a great article above. My version is here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/short-on-time-recycle-a-prefab-brooder.73985/

 

[Adrienne-m]

Thank you! My husband took care of the rooster this morning and I feel so awful about it! The kids safety will always come first but still...
Anyway, yes we have an enclosed run hooked to a coop that is all surrounded by a fence. I will probably just get pullets the same age or wait till spring when we have a barn.

 

[DuckYouMan]

I have 2 tractor coops for two different age brackets of chicks. 0-3 weeks 3 weeks +. My main flock free ranges in the day time and I'll feed them in front of the two coops while the younger ones eat inside their own. When they become of age to join the main group, they've already been introduced well in advance. Pecking order has to get established so let them do their thing unless someone gets hurt.

If you're going to have more than one Roo, its a good idea make sure that the temperaments are docile. There are some training methods you can use to make roos less aggressive, but its always best to start with the general temperament of the breed first. It makes it a lot easier.

 

[nao57]

I have 2 tractor coops for two different age brackets of chicks. 0-3 weeks 3 weeks +. My main flock free ranges in the day time and I'll feed them in front of the two coops while the younger ones eat inside their own. When they become of age to join the main group, they've already been introduced well in advance. Pecking order has to get established so let them do their thing unless someone gets hurt.

If you're going to have more than one Roo, its a good idea make sure that the temperaments are docile. There are some training methods you can use to make roos less aggressive, but its always best to start with the general temperament of the breed first. It makes it a lot easier.

How do you determine what % of the food should be free range, and how much has to come from the store feed etc?

 

[DuckYouMan]

Depends on their weight. As they're younger, i'll let them eat as much as they want of the all flock to get the best growth. As they get older, I have them for the main purpose of eggs and pets so I don't need them overweight for cooking so i'll keep them whatever looks healthy. As winter nears, I will up their feed if they aren't foraging enough to gain a little on their own.

 

[My2butterflies]

They don’t need to be separate for that long.
I made a brooder to introduce my 4wk old chicks to my pullets. After a week I let the little ones be in a fence inside the chicken run so the big girls could get used to them outside with them too. After a week I let the Littles loose with the girls. There was some pecking and chasing, but nothing too bad.

 

[Adrienne-m]

So this may be a dumb question but can eggs hatch if nobody sits on them?

 

[azygous]

It has happened, but it's unlikely.

The air temp must be over 100F for three weeks straight. An embryo can only develop when the egg reaches this temp and is sustained for three weeks. But unless the humidity is also high, chicks won't properly hatch. The heat and humidity under a broody hen is perfect for hatching eggs.