Chicken math

[Renee572]

Oh no the feed store has baby chicks. They only have barred rocks and black australorps right now but they will be getting new different ones once a week! Eek, I'm gonna be in trouble and I can tell the chicken math is about to begin. We started with 5 chicks back in april, we had one pass away about a month ago and we told the kids we'd get another (and a couple more) to replace it when the feed store had chicks again.

Anyway just have a question. I know we can't put these baby chicks we get in with our hens (I think like 27-28 weeks old now) for quite a while but was wondering about what age we can try to incorporate them? Any suggestions on the best way to introduce them when it's time?

 

[Peeps61]

Hi - you should wait until your chicks look and sound like the bigger girls. There will still be scuffling and scraping as the pecking order readjusts itself, but that is normal and to be expected. I integrate mine while they are ranging outside. Then, they go in to roost together. That seems to work best for me.

 

[Renee572]

Thanks Peeps.

 

[mtngirl35]

I putmy 4 brooder raised chicks out with my older girls at 6 weeks old. For about a week I had them in a 2x4 cage and let them out to mingle when I was in the run. Then I let them out in general population but left a hole in the cage so they could get away if picked on. I also left the feed and water in it in case they were bullied away from the big feeders. My momma hen raised chicks started mingling at less than a week old.

 

[krista74]

I agree with waiting until they are similar in size to the other hens.

Another idea (which I would highly recommend) is to baffle the existing flock with numbers. If you integrate more new birds than what you have in your existing flock, they will be overwhelmed by all the new arrivals and will be less likely to harass them.

Now, THAT's how chicken math works!

Krista

 

[hobo fred]

At night when the older hens are roosting I have had good luck this way

 

[KittyKat3756]

Putting the chicks with the hens at 6-8 weeks works as they're not perceived as a threat at that point, or you would probably have to wait until they are much older. Keep in mind that this time of year, the chicks will need to be kept warm (depending on where you are).

We mixed ours at 8 and 10 weeks after they had spent the daytime free ranging with the hens for a couple of weeks without any problems whatsoever and some of our hens are very aggressive ex-battery "rescues".

 

[Renee572]

Krista- Well I am not exactly sure how many chickens I am actually allowed to have in my backyard so I guess I better figure that out first. But I had thought the feed store wouldn't have chicks for sale until the spring so I was very surprised to find out they had them now. Anyway my plan had been to hatch some eggs that we buy since we don't have a rooster as well as buy a couple chicks at the feed store around the same time in case our first hatch didn't go so well and we only ended up with 1 or 2 chicks. I wasn't planning to do any hatching until the spring though so the feed store having chicks now is kinda making me rethink my plans as I don't think I'm quite ready to hatch eggs yet.

 

[Renee572]

Soooo just wondering for those that have hatched eggs, about what percentage should I expect to be roos? I don't mind if we hatch roos, we just can't keep them so they would become dinner eventually.

Oh my gosh, knowing that the feed store just 10 minutes away from me has cute little fluffy chicks is making me crazy. I want to run over there and pick some out. I really want at least another easter egger though and maybe a silver laced wyandotte or 2 and those are not breeds they have right now though! :/

 

[Peeps61]

I don't know what percentage should or would be roosters in a typical hatch. I do relate to your desire to go buy some more chicks, though!

My Easter Egger hen was killed on Sunday. :-(. She laid the most beautiful blue eggs! I have another EE hen who is about to start laying, so maybe hers will be blue too. When I get new chicks in the spring, It will just be EE's I think.