Hi, anyone who could help me out with a couple of very important questions would be amazing! I currently have 5 hens that just started laying eggs three weeks ago. My coop is 10x12x12 with a caged run outside. I have been considering getting 4 or 5 more chickens in the spring. I would be getting them as chicks. I am definately a city girl but i love animals and am keeping them illegally so my question is... where do i keep the chicks and at what point in time can i try and mix the two groups? The chickens i have now are very sweet and i never see them peck or fight eachother. As you can tell i dont know much of anything about raising chickens but i am learning as i go. ANY information would really help as well as suggestions for any way of making this work! THANKS
You can raise chicks in the house until they get so big, you could then move them to your big coop seperated from the others, then at 10 12 week you could put them together.
HA!!! Another one bit by the chicken addiction!! LOL I agree with brooster. Also, have you checked out the Learning Center on the Home Page? I don't know if they have the info you need but they might. I'd take a look-see. Don't be a stranger!
Also there are some really good books that you can learn a lot form, the best one i think is storeys guide to raising chickens, it covers everything.
you can keep the chicks in the house until they get to be the size of you're other chickens. 10x12x12 is big enough for 10 chickens. I have 6 chickens illegally too!!
Keep the chickies in the house/garage until they are about 3 or 4 months old then mix them together and see what happens. If you're lucky there won't be any fighting. the coop is ok for size but to make it less crowded you could make it a teensy bit bigger.
always, always, keep your chickens separated in some sort of pen/caged area that they can be seen and heard by the other chickens for a week or two before turning them loose with the flock. Preferably turn them loose then at roosting time and all will go smoothly. Keep them inside the house until they are feathered well first. I use a piece of hardware cloth shaped in an oval and that is the pen I keep them in while introducing them to my flock. done if for a couple years now and never had any trouble by doing that way. good luck! Welcome to byc!
