I have “4” 12 week old Easter egger chicks. They are sweet as ever. We have gotten 6 more chickens 3 roosters we are going to sell, and “3” 6 month old hens we are gonna keep. However the chicks are terrified of the hens and roosters. What should I do? The hens step on the chicks and the chicks get scared. Also the roosters scare the chicks a lot. The hens the chicks are kinda cool but the hens are a little mean and peck them and step on them. The chicks get scared easily and let out little cries and whimpers. The hens are Buff Orphintons and one is a big fat white broiler that sits and lays in the food she’s a size of a turkey and always eating. The roosters crow and growl and peck and are crazy. One of the orphinton hens are crazy. The roosters one is a australop yellow eyes black with blue and green tail feathers. The other two roosters are orphintons. Update we sold the roosters because they crowed like a banchy! The buff orphinton hens are crazy. Well I’m not sure if it’s both of them it could be just one because they look like twins.
Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined. Keep the young ones separate from the older ones with a 'look don't touch' arrangement for a couple of weeks. Did you quarantine the new birds before introducing them to the original flock?
My 11 week chicks are still separate from the full grown hens and will stay that way until they are full size. They don't have to be laying, but for me, they have to be as big. This makes integration with my chickens so easy. Others are able to integrate very early, so it really depends on your flock and how it works for you. My chicks and hens can see each other, but go into their own coops. You can accomplish the same thing with one coop by dividing the space inside, assuming your coop is large enough. Welcome to BYC!!!
Hello and welcome to BYC! We're so glad to have you here with us! Thank you for joining our wonderful community of fellow poultry enthusiasts!
Hello, thanks for joining us! Some good advice from the previous greeters...separate so they can all see each other but not touch. How large is your coop and run? And do the little ones have any place where they can get away from the full-grown birds?
I mix my chicks in after there pullets but give them a space they can run to were older hens cant go! Also Good luck -Keep Clucking!
Keep them separate until the chicks are large enough to protect themselves. Hope that the new birds are healthy.