Can I mix month old chicks and year old chickens?

[FireRooster]

Yeah, the bad thing is I was so happy to finish my new coop/run for the 5 five full grown birds. I never thought I'd have to build or add on just to integrate more chicks. The money already spent, plus time, I didn't account for it all at first. Nothing is ever as easy as it seems.

 

[AKsmama]

I know, right? If you could reason with their little bird-brains it'd be easier. "These are your new flockmates, don't eat them!"

But as fast as they grow, it won't be long before you can integrate them. It's just too dangerous right now.

 

[briteday]

Same as everyone else...no. I brood my chicks in a separate pen in the coop with the big girls. But they are separated by a framed, wire covered pen form the big girls...looky, no touchy.

I don't even THINK about integrating the flock until the chicks have basically outgrown the brooder...because by then the chicks are about the same size as the hens. Then we do a few days of everyone in the pasture and run together, plenty of room to run away if one is tormenting another. Remember, there WILL be a pecking order no matter what you do. My teenage daughter hates to see them fight so she will usually let them free range together on a weekend day when she sits out in a lawn chair and squirts any aggressive old hens with the hose if they are mercilessly picking on a young bird. For the first few days the younger ones will return to the brooder at night, where I have left a panel open for them to enter. After a few days the young ones will begin exploring the nest boxes (when there's not a hen around!) and jumping up on the roosts to try them out. After about one week I leave the brooder panel open and they can choose where to sleep. Generally within 2 weeks everyone is up on the roosts. If I bring a new chicken into the flock, after quarantine and time to integrate, I wait until dark and then put the new full-grown bird on the roost in the dark with the rest of the flock. I've never had any problems with this.

 

[schellie69]

Quote:
Great advice this is how I did it last year and worked great I will be doing it again this year with the 5 new ones I got. I have to stop going to the feed store. From March 1st to May 1st

yea right.

 

[FireRooster]

The guy I bought my grown rooster from had him and some other hens in a coop with chicks the same size as mine. I was confused but he said he had birds he could put with chicks and birds he couldn't. i know 2 of the birds I got from him were with chicks. That is why I didn't think if the rooster/hens was used to being wiht baby chicks they would bother mine? Until I got on here I didn't think anything about it. Really tuff to know what to do when you see someone that has raised chickens for years doing what everyone else say's not to do and having no problems with it......? Not sure now.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The best thing most chicken flock keepers could do is build a multi-pen arrangement. No one seems to ever tell folks this.

If one wants to grow their flock, by annually getting new chicks, this is simply going to be necessary. Or, build two coops. Wanting more than one flock or having flocks of young and older is increasingly common. Add this to the learning curve.

Stuff They Don't You About Starting With Chickens. Anyone see a book title?

 

[FireRooster]

Oh and the chicks in his coop with the grown chickens were purchased chicks, not one of the hens babies. They looked to be about 1-2 months?

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Get a large type cage,..put the chicks in it on the inside of the coop with your big gals for a few days. They will eventually get used to each other and the big hens won't be able to get to the chicks to hurt them,...and you won't have to build an addition or anything. I would go to TSC and buy a rabbit cage or something like that.

JMO,..

 

[Fred's Hens]

FireRooster

All I can tell you is that one learns an awful lot by experience. I too have raised chickens over a 50 year period. Most of the breeds I keep are extremely pecking order oriented. Even 14 week old pullets can get pounded by my older hens. It is pretty merciless too.

Trial and error. Trial and error. Just don't do something without close observation and be prepared to undo it, and then try something else. Best regards.

 

[FireRooster]

Thanks everyone info much needed, I am liking the cage inside the run or maybe section off area in the run just for the new chicks. Not sure if I can dive into a whole other run/coop, but definitely want to do it right. I am new and want to learn without my flock taking the injuries for my mistakes. Thanks again.