Adding to mixed flock- mixing it up even more

[aart]

only downside is no hydro to it

That means electricity?..or water?...or both?

 

[BorealRanch]

That means electricity?..or water?...or both?

Both... we will have large volume water storage before winter, but No power... if heat is needed we will have to run extension cords

 

[aart]

Both... we will have large volume water storage before winter, but No power... if heat is needed we will have to run extension cords

You'll likely need a heater to keep chicken waterer thawed...
.....and not sure how you'll keep water storage tank liquid.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

-30C or F?
20x30 meters or feet?
Depends on how you separate it out, I guess.
Goats need to be kept away from poultry feed, as they can gorge on it-sometimes fatally.
Ducks are often best kept separate from other poultry due to their wet-messiness.
Chickens needs to be dry to stay warm.
Not sure about turkeys.
Outdoor space in winter there could be tricky depending on snow depths.
Lots to think about.

Goats and sheep will also monopolize housing or shelter putting your chickens or other poultry out in the rain and the cold, or even worse out in the blazing hot Noonday Sun.

Don't ask me how I know this.

 

[BorealRanch]

After having our tractors in the same area as our free range flock for a LONG time we are releasing the tractor chickens and rooster tomorrow! Wish me luck! Each rooster has been kept with 8 hens... so hopefully these numbers are good for the boys to keep happy... on side notes our Easter egger had disappeared for a while, I had my 4 year old prepared that she may never come back but she returned recently with 7 chicks!!! We also recently got a good deal on some rabbits so a chicken tractor has become their new home! See pics

 

[aart]

Wish me luck!

Best of cLuck!
Wonder where mama will take the babies?

 

[BorealRanch]

Best of cLuck!
Wonder where mama will take the babies?

I have them and her in a dog kennel until I can fix the rabbit hutch at which point she will go in it as long as it's warm enough for her outside... which unfortunately won't be long then I'll move the hutch inside... I found with our lone duckling this made for a very easy introduction.. the chickens didn't even pack her

 

[Flock In Texas]

I've read through the thread and learned some good stuff. Here is my situation. I have 9 hens of various breeds. They free range my 1/2 acre fenced back yard. My SIL's husband died and she is scaling down their ranch and she asked if I wanted her chickens. I don't know what kind of chickens she has or if she has any roos. She said she has 8-10. Her workers take care of them.

Here is my plan. She will be giving me their coop. I think their run is hard mounted and will be tough to move. I'm thinking about taking their coop and mating it to my portable chicken run. The new chickens can use the 8x12 run as a temporary run while my girls get the whole yard like normal. They will be able to see each other and interact with each other through the fence. I will feed them scratch grains and table scraps so that they can eat together along the run fence. After about 3 weeks, I will let them range together. The new birds will be comfortable with the new place and see it as home and the old birds will go about business as usual. My birds have water in the coop, in the run, and a 4 foot kiddie pool that all of the dogs and chickens drink from. I feed them inside the tractor. Having similar numbers of old and new birds, am I looking at a "chicken war"?

 

[Mrs. K]

To Flock in Texas - I don't think you will have too much trouble at all. Integration issues and fighting or attacking a single bird are much bigger problems in smaller set ups. Adding a single bird is the worst.

When you add about equal numbers, well fighting is hard work, and there is only so much that can be done. It is spread out among a bunch of birds, and each bunch of birds has friends. Generally, while each group might hang together as a sub flock within a flock, I would not expect a tremendous amount of fighting. If I add more than 5 birds, I don't do anything at all except put them in there.

Once in a while, there will be a single victim. If so, I would pull her out, and either dispatch her, or cull her by some other means.

A big problem with adding a lot of birds, can be bringing in a disease. That is a risk you have to figure on, do not ever take birds you feel sorry for.

Mrs K

 

[BorealRanch]

The integration went very well... the chickens from the tractor do still return to their tractor at night which I'm going to try and change today by altering the chicken area in our building (making it bigger, creating hiding places) I'm also going to TRY and move the rabbit hutch with mom and babies in as we got a bunch of wet snow yesterday.. it will make the hutch hard to move but means I need to move it... I'm hoping to get the new flock inside by not putting feed out until this afternoon, putting it in the new area and when everyone is inside closing the door and crossing my fingers lol how much room should I sanction off for the birds? 7 ducks, 3 turkeys, and 18 chickens (so much for only wintering 5 lol)