Awesome!!!

[big m70726]

I have 5 new baby hens. their a week old and I have them in a box in south louisiana its hot as hell down here so do they need a light? what kind of bulb? and when do I incorp them into thr coop with the rest?

 

[Toshi]

Well if it is warm enough 95 degs, which is what temp a baby chick must be under for at leasta week, then they shoudl be ok. But if it gets really cold at night or soemthing then turen it on, dont want to loose your fuzzy butts.

And if you geta liught then i use a heat lamp with a 250w bulb, but my fuzzy butts have feathers that are coming in fast, so i dont turn it on uless they are cold. When they are cold they get really loud and cuddle up with one another.

As for putting them in with the others wait. 14 weeks shoudl be a good time to put them together, or when they are all the same size (this one works better) other then getting them into the flock dont ask me, i dont really know, i been having problems getting my rock chicken with the others so i am sure someone else can answer that part for ya.

 

[Alethea]

They are probably ok during the day, but if it cools off at night you'll need a lamp until they get their feathers.

 

[allieloveschickens]

at that temp they are probably fine without a heat lamp, though as the others have noted if the temp does drop down a lot at night you should turn on the heat lamp- just make sure they have room to move away from it so they don't over heat.
As for integration- I would wait until they are the same size as, or nearly the same size as the other birds- put them in a dog crate or wire pen inside the run (make sure it has one or two solid walls- a solid corner would be best so they have a place to hide if they need) leave them in the pen in the run for two weeks. After one week you can start free ranging them together, but never lock them up together without having the separation pen or crate. This will allow the original flock to grow used to the new babies without being able to attack them. After two weeks you can add the babies to the roost at night when everyone is sleeping- then just keep an eye on them- if you notice anyone being severely attacked try crating/penning them for another week with a buddy or two. There will be pecking and chasing- that is normal- they have to find their place in the pecking order. It is also a good idea to provide multiple feeders and waterers so that the older birds don't keep the younger birds from eating or drinking. Good luck!

 

[big m70726]

Thanks for the great advice!! However these new babies have their fur and they are hens so my flock are all grown and layin how do I incorp thse new ones to the flock? at what age and how? will my roo hurt them or the other hens?

 

[Toshi]

Quote:
The will start to feather out soon, aroud four weeks they will have a good amount of their feathers, as for putting them all together read allieloveschickens Intergration post again she tells you how to do it in there, and the Roo shouldn't hurt them, if he knows their hens then eh should just take them in as his own, pending on the roo really, and put them in when they are the same size, so really age doesn't play to much in it, sometime around 14 weeks or somwrhing, but if they are to small then dont put them in at all, introduce them the way allieloveschickens suggested and you should be fine.