Am your Native Naturopath + Feldenkrais prax in love with Americanas!

[FeliTru]

Hi and welcome to BYC! It's nice to meet you! Did I read that right... you have a 16 year old rooster? That's amazing!!
As for putting the chicks outside, what are the temps in your area?

Hullo--so far you are the only one to actually address my questions! Am on my 7th week with my teen chicks inside my office--I take them out daily to their minicoop and wash their inside cage. FINALLY the low temps are listed above 50 degrees!!! I thot the day would never come!

But was feeding the chicks inside their mini coop with the senior hens & rooster eating right outside their coop. One chick got out and they pecked at her, so can keep them in their small coop but want to integrate them with the others. Have heard of sneaking them in when the others are asleep...not sure they ever sleep.

 

[chrissynemetz]

I think you're safe with your temperatures to put the chicks outside.
How big are your coop and run?
Is there a way you can fence off an area so that the senior chickens can see the chicks, but not reach them? I usually try to do that for a few weeks, then I put my new chicks inside the coop with the adults at night while they're sleeping. The biggest issue is space, the little ones need room to get away from the adults. You can place obstacles around the run to give the chicks places to hide. And adding extra feed and water stations helps as well.

 

[FeliTru]

I think you're safe with your temperatures to put the chicks outside.
How big are your coop and run?
Is there a way you can fence off an area so that the senior chickens can see the chicks, but not reach them? I usually try to do that for a few weeks, then I put my new chicks inside the coop with the adults at night while they're sleeping. The biggest issue is space, the little ones need room to get away from the adults. You can place obstacles around the run to give the chicks places to hide. And adding extra feed and water stations helps as well.

 

[FeliTru]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY!!! Great! You know, for all these years have had the usual metal feeder and water dispenser, but the chickens just make a mess of the feed--it builds up until I cannot close the coop door! Am looking at other feeders because am also feeding a couple of hundred wild birds here. Have looked at feeders that are long pipes with little kinda spoons at the bottom for the chicks to eat off. What do you think?

And can only move the mini coop into the big run, really. The older chooks have had three weeks or more to see the babies and to eat right next to them, while the chicks were in their own cage. Am nervous about slipping a teen in with the seniors, but could try it.

 

[chrissynemetz]

When you put the little ones in the coop with the adults, do them all at the same time. It seems like there is safety in numbers.
I really don't know about the feeder. I've never found one I really like.

 

[FeliTru]

When you put the little ones in the coop with the adults, do them all at the same time. It seems like there is safety in numbers.
I really don't know about the feeder. I've never found one I really like.

Thanks again for replying so quickly. Am thinking of doing this tonight, I've raised these in my office for 7 weeks and really worry about their being killed or injured by the older chickens. I think the rooster will just try to mount them, but he's pretty slow at 16!
Guess I will take the chance on the feeders....hard time to spend money with none coming in. Will check the forums.

 

[chrissynemetz]

Good luck! Integrating new chickens always makes me nervous. Let us know how it goes!

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to the pulse beat of the chicken community, BACKYARD CHICKENS