Adding to my flock

[LER23]

I have two cream leg bar pullets that I want to add to a flock of five. My legbars are about three weeks old, and the rest of the flock is about two months old. Currently my two legbars are in a brood area in my basement. My plan is to get a cage that I can put the leg bars into, along with their heat lamp. I want to set that up in the coop so that the other chickens get used to them. During the day, I will put their cage out into the chicken run for awhile each day without the heat lamp, if weather permits. If it's too cold they'll stay inside the coop with their heat lamp. My reasoning is that by the time they're big enough to be outside on their own with the other chickens the period of adjustment will be shorter and the older chickens will accept them easy. If breeds matter in this equation: I have 2 Production Blue pullets, 1 Leghorn, 1 Easter Egger pullet and 1 EE cockerel (who will be leaving the flock in a month or so). Is this a reasonable plan?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Overall that sounds fine. Will they be staying out in the coop at night as well?

What are your temperatures like, hi and low?

 

[LER23]

For the next week or so the lows will be hovering around 50 degrees. I was planning on moving the whole breeder set- up into the coop, but keeping the 2 young cream legbars in a separate area, with the heat lamp. I am rethinking that idea, and have decided to put them in the outside run only a few hours at a time, in a fenced off area. As much as I'd like to have all the chickens in one area, I think the fire danger from the heat lamp is lower if I stick to keeping the brooder area in the basement. Also I feel more confident that the little pullets will stay warm enough in there, rather than having to guess at how to adjust the heat to compensate for being in the cold outside air.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So it sounds like the plan at this moment is in the basement at night, and then outside during the day for increasing periods of time?

What are daytime temps like? You might be able to have them out all day for about a week, then after that they should be able to stay out day and night without any added heat.

 

[LER23]

So it sounds like the plan at this moment is in the basement at night, and then outside during the day for increasing periods of time?

What are daytime temps like? You might be able to have them out all day for about a week, then after that they should be able to stay out day and night without any added heat.

Out here in OR, it has been cool at night but fairly warm-70's and 80's-during the day. So yes, out in the warmest part of the day to start. They are loosing their down right now, so it shouldn't be a problem to work them into the coop at night within a week or 2. Thanks for the advice.