Day olds with establish flock?

[NorthernChickenChic]

Hi everyone! So I’ve really been hoping that my 1-year old hens would start brooding more chicks but so far this doesn’t seem the case! I’m also desperate for more chickens because the demand for my eggs is so high! So I was thinking of buying more day- old chicks from the same hatchery I bought from just over a year ago, and housing them in a separate area in the coop with their own heat source (after 14 day quarantine). My question is- can I do this? The big birds won’t be able to physically get to the little chicks but I’m hoping being able to see the big flock and such that they can interstate as they grow? I guess I’m just wondering if this is a good idea or not?
thanks so much!!

 

[sourland]

Sounds like a plan to me.

 

[Mamatomany123]

I brood my chicks in the coop with the big girls in a see but no touch setup. It definitely helps with early integration.

 

[NorthernChickenChic]

I brood my chicks in the coop with the big girls in a see but no touch setup. It definitely helps with early integration.

Oh perfect! At what age do you let them all out together? I have free range chickens , so no fences, and would like to let the new littles out in the hopes that they go with the big hens.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Oh perfect! At what age do you let them all out together? I have free range chickens , so no fences, and would like to let the new littles out in the hopes that they go with the big hens.

It usually depends on the weather but my current chicks are 2 weeks old and I will probably start letting into the run with the big girls at 4 weeks. I'm not sure when to let them free range. I still havent let my 11 week olds free range.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I also raise my chicks with the adults. I start letting them out of the brooder around 10-14 days, and my goal is to get them integrated with adults by around 4 weeks (so roosting in coop with adults). However I don't free range so can't make recommendations on that.

Really no need to quarantine newly hatched chicks though, they're extremely unlikely to be vectors, unless you don't feel the hatchery you're buying from has good biosecurity? But if that's the case, 14 days wouldn't cut it... 30 days is recommended for true medical quarantine.

 

[NorthernChickenChic]

I also raise my chicks with the adults. I start letting them out of the brooder around 10-14 days, and my goal is to get them integrated with adults by around 4 weeks (so roosting in coop with adults). However I don't free range so can't make recommendations on that.

Really no need to quarantine newly hatched chicks though, they're extremely unlikely to be vectors, unless you don't feel the hatchery you're buying from has good biosecurity? But if that's the case, 14 days wouldn't cut it... 30 days is recommended for true medical quarantine.

Thanks for your advice! I’ve never had a problem with my flock free ranging, even when I moved them from the house to their new coop. I’m hoping if they’re integrated then they will follow the big girls around. But I could also figure out how to makeshift a little run for them somehow.

 

[Jtodd99]

Thanks for your advice! I’ve never had a problem with my flock free ranging, even when I moved them from the house to their new coop. I’m hoping if they’re integrated then they will follow the big girls around. But I could also figure out how to makeshift a little run for them somehow.

So I free range all my chickens too, and by four weeks my chicks are normally fully free ranged. In my experience they won’t really follow the older girls around. They kinda form their own
Juvenile flock, and keep to themselves and out of the older birds way. Once they older they normally start slowly integrating. I do loose a few to hawks since they’re a much easier target, but It’s a risk I take free ranging.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Thanks for your advice! I’ve never had a problem with my flock free ranging, even when I moved them from the house to their new coop. I’m hoping if they’re integrated then they will follow the big girls around. But I could also figure out how to makeshift a little run for them somehow.

The main problem I can see with free ranging chicks is their size. We dont have many predators but we do have tons of stray cats that, while they leave the big girls alone, would pick off the chicks one by one.

 

[Mamatomany123]

I also raise my chicks with the adults. I start letting them out of the brooder around 10-14 days, and my goal is to get them integrated with adults by around 4 weeks (so roosting in coop with adults). However I don't free range so can't make recommendations on that.

Really no need to quarantine newly hatched chicks though, they're extremely unlikely to be vectors, unless you don't feel the hatchery you're buying from has good biosecurity? But if that's the case, 14 days wouldn't cut it... 30 days is recommended for true medical quarantine.

Do you mind me asking how they do without the heat at 10-14 days? I'm not too worried about my bigger girls hurting them but am worried that because if the run size they would get lost and vet too cold.