Do you think this will work?

[momoftwinsinwi]

I lost all of my hens while free ranging to a "day hunting" fox, so I have an opportunity to buy 6 1 yr old Red stars just like I lost, so here's my idea seeing that I have 14 7 week old chicks in the run/coop now. My plan is to take the 6 hens and put them in the coop with chicken wire over the "chicken door" and leave the 14 chicks in the run area with their food/water and roost. The run area is safe and has a roof on it. I think this would work best as #1, they will be eating different feed....#2, the hens need the nests in the coop to lay...they will still be able to see each other but until the chicks are older, I think this would work best. By the way, my coop is 8x4 - whatcha think?

 

[chicklips]

I think it sounds good.

 

[Marlinchaser]

From a biosecurity point if they are that close if either group has anything bad it can be passed.

From a nonbiosecurity point it should work if it was me I would leave them that way for a while then try intrducing them for real, so they could all be in aat night, you could swith to just grower, and supplement with oyster shell for calcium for the layers.

 

[momoftwinsinwi]

I've been buying my feed at Farm & Fleet and they don't have 3 stage feed like Dumor does, they have a "starter/grower" and then the layer feed. I'll try the "plan" and see how it goes and hopefully the birds are healthy!! I don't have too many more options???

 

[quiltnchik]

Will the 14 in the run have some type of shelter, since they can't get into the coop? I'd just be worried about predators getting into the run area and/or the chicks not having a way to get out of the weather.

 

[momoftwinsinwi]

the run is roofed and we've buttoned up everything so it's like Alcatraz!!! they are safe and I also have a wooden box on it's side they can huddle in if need be

 

[quiltnchik]

Sounds like a great setup to me!

Good luck with them and with introducing them all to your flock when the time comes