Chicken Mama to Be... Looking for insight

[jonalisa]

Hello, I'm new and I apologize in advance if there was a better place to post this. I expected a "newbie questions" forum, but did not see one.

I am buying my chicks in the spring and would like to have +/- 8 chickens or so (full size layers).
I ordered a coop that is 4’ by 6’ (2 roosts and 3 nesting boxes.) and we are building a partially covered composting run that is 16’ x 10’. Coop I ordered is here: http://nh.craigslist.org/grd/3787968964.html

Here are my questions:

• I’ve read that you can have issues adding new chickens to an established flock. So, if I buy 8 chicks from the feed store and then some die, is it a problem to buy more and add them to the existing flock? ( If it happened while chicks were still in the brooder, would it still be an issue?)
• I’ve gotten advice to buy 10 chicks to allow for some loss. This is a-ok with me and I don’t mind if I actually end up with 10 – so my next question is: Is this 4x6 coop big enough for 10 chickens? I am in NH. They will have use of the run daily (except for hazardous/stormy weather) and regular weekly free-ranging when supervised. I am raising them mainly as pets and compost companions with eggs as a side benefit – so I don’t want them cramped into a space.
• When my hens are older, if I want to increase the flock, can I give a fertilized egg to a broody hen and will she raise it without issues from the others?
• To those of you with bee hives: Is there an issue locating my coop near my apiary; side by side? I have 2 hives and they are fenced. Chickens will not be able to access them and my bees rarely hang around - their flight path is up and away.

Thanks so much for your help. This site has been an amazing resource in my research!

Best,
jonalisa

 

[Judy]

Welcome to our forum!

I'll give you some links at the end of this, but also say that in general, mixing ages of chicks while all are under a month old is considered safe. After that, the safest thing to do is raise them separately, where they can see each other, til they are all about the same size. Now, chickens and flocks are very individual about this. You can have a bloody war with all adults, and you can mix different sizes and have it go quite smoothly, with only a bit of "I'm the boss" pecking that does not cause an injury. Besides their personalities, I think a lot of it has to do with giving them plenty of space, preferably with places to hide, more than one feed/water station, and distractions, which might be anything from treats to moving everyone to a different space for the integration. The integration link below talks about quarantine at first but also gives a bunch of good hints for the actual mising of the flocks.

The usual rule of thumb here, the amount of space that is supposed to be enough to ensure no serious overcrowding problems, is 4 sq ft per bird in the coop and 10 in the run. Personally, I would not keep them in that small a space, but people keep them in less successfully. Again, I'll give you a couple of links to look over.

There is no one "right" way to manage broodies -- or to keep chickens, for that matter. My approach to broodies is to separate them during the incubating and put mama and chicks with the flock. A broody setting on eggs is in a sort of trance. Others will sneak into her nest, often whether she's in it or not, and lay eggs there. Sometimes they move eggs from nest to nest (you'd be surprised at how good at this they are.) sometimes the jostling breaks eggs. A broody generally leaves her nest once a day for maybe 15 minutes, to eat, drink, poop, maybe get a little exercise or a dust bath. They are not very good at remembering which nest to return to, and others may get on their eggs while they are out. Hens have been sitting on eggs in with the flock for centuries, but it really can get chaotic, and isolating her for the setting will almost undoubtedly give a better hatch rate. Once the chicks have hatched, the roosters tend to help the mama out with the chicks, or at least don't bother them. The other hens tend to be a bit attacking, and the mama wil run them off when they approach her chicks. She will keep them warm, teach them to forage, generally provide all the care they need. The only thing you have to do is be sure the chicks don't get any layer feed. This is actually simple to do as it's no problem at all to feed the whole flock what the hchicks need, a starter feed, for a month or two, then a grower or flock raiser. You will want to offer yster shell separately so the laying hens can get the calcium they need, and you should find the chicks don't bother the oyster shell. Some starter feed is medicated with amprolium, which helps chicks develop a natural immunity to cocci, a protozoa very commonly found in soil. Broody raised chicks will also get some immunity from their mamas so you don't need to feed medicated if you'd rather not. I do, mostly because its hard to find any that isnt medicated. It is safe for the whole flock to eat, and even safe for you to eat the eggs laid by a hen eating medicated starter feed. The amprolium mostly stays in the chicken's intestine so doesn't get into the egg. It is not an antibiotic; it works by inhibiting the uptake of thiamine in the cocci, thus inhibiting their growth.

I've never had any bees so I'd better not speak to that question. I do wonder if the chickens would eat the bees, though.

No, we don't have a "newbie forum," but don't feel out of place asking these questions. We all had to learn some time.

I'd encourage you, though, to check out our Learning Center. It's always a work in progress, but we've put together a lot of articles there on various aspects of chicken keeping, many of them aimed at the beginner.

These are some links I feel are particularly good:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/700308/coop-and-run-size/0_20#post_9504811

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/winter-coop-temperatures

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/broody-hens

 

[jonalisa]

Judy.
I so appreciate you taking the time to type such a thoughtful reply. You've cleared up quite a bit for me - I had no idea about how the broody behavior typically went and how that all played out. Very interesting.

So I gather by your response that really only about 6 chickens would be appropriate for a 4x6 coop? That's a bit disappointing, as I've already ordered the coop and thinking more along the lines of 8. Perhaps we could enlarge the coop.

The first thing you learn in beekeeping is that there are as many answers to a question as there are beekeepers. I guess the same goes for chicken raising.

I am going through the links now. Thanks very much for going to the trouble to pull all of it together. Much appreciated!

Best, jonalisa

 

[sagenhoney]

I will answer the bee question.

I started with two hives last year, which are only a few yards from the coop, I added two more down the way near the garden (chickens never really go that far though).

I wondered the same things you did, but I have never had a problem with the bees and chickens at all. The chics might browse the area, but they dont eat the bees. They might eat a dead bee if it was on the ground - not sure.

If you ever need to get rid of some bee larva though, it makes a great snack for them...and sometimes they will eat the wax and all if you throw that out somewhere. Sometimes when managing the hive, you might have to remove excess comb, and sometimes it will have pollen and larva. I don't like anything going to waste, so I give it to the chics.

Hope this helps

 

[jonalisa]

Hi and thanks, yes, that is very helpful.
Although after 4 robbings my hives are both weak and wasn't able to find my queens today. :-( So it may not be an issue come spring.

jonalisa

 

[ozarkmomma]

Judy.
I so appreciate you taking the time to type such a thoughtful reply. You've cleared up quite a bit for me - I had no idea about how the broody behavior typically went and how that all played out. Very interesting.

So I gather by your response that really only about 6 chickens would be appropriate for a 4x6 coop? That's a bit disappointing, as I've already ordered the coop and thinking more along the lines of 8. Perhaps we could enlarge the coop.

The first thing you learn in beekeeping is that there are as many answers to a question as there are beekeepers. I guess the same goes for chicken raising.

I am going through the links now. Thanks very much for going to the trouble to pull all of it together. Much appreciated!

Best, jonalisa

If space is an issue you might consider bantams. they take less room........

 

[sagenhoney]

I'm sorry to hear that. Any particular reason they are being robbed? Did you see it happen.?

I heard that you can put a wet sheet over the hive to protect it - but this only works while the process is taking place. Good luck.

 

[jonalisa]

Well, both were new hives - started late, due to the bee shortage and shipping delays. I was feeding with top feeders (1:1 syrup with Honey B Healthy.)
I saw a lot of activity, went out there and saw bees hovering in front of the entrance, moving side to side. They were much larger and blacker than my Italian bees - easy to spot. I read online about the wet sheet (and put one on one hive) and then contacted two different teachers from my bee class. One told me the sheet was a waste of time and to take it off. The next day the other teacher told me I should have tried a sheet. ;-) They didn't really have any other advice or solutions- so I stayed out there with my hive tool, killing foreign bees until they gave up and left. I went through this multiple times for several days. Finally, I read about robbing screens and my husband made two from the bee package boxes. That immediately stopped the robbing. However, both hives seemed to have stopped thriving after that. I have a hive side consultation with an expert this week. - so we'll see.

The very first thing you are taught in beekeeping is that for every one question, there are as many answers as there are beekeepers. Everyone has a different answer and everyone does things there own way.

Seems like raising chickens is much the same.

 

[elliechooks]

I have bee hives and free ranging chickens in the same area. The only problems I have had is sometimes the chickens try to roost on top of the hives instead of going into the shed, and when going in to do something with the hives I have to remember to take the chickens a treat which will keep them occupied otherwise you try to put the hive roof on the floor and there's a chicken where you want to put it! Worse still you try to put the roof back on when finished and there's a chicken standing in it!!

 

[jonalisa]

Oh, that's totally a good point. Something to consider! Thank you.