Hatching and raising chicks in the house

[Judy]

Just to be clear, they also get exposed to the mama's cocci when broody and outdoor raised, which helps build that immunity. I agree that such things as yogurt should help create normal flora, though -- and I think all chickens love the stuff, once they stop being afraid of it, lol!

 

[wlyouth05]

When should I allow mine to go into the big pen with others? I have 10 chicks that hatched on Nov 10. The last time I hatched I kept her in the brooder for almost 2 month's. I would put her in a cage and put her in the pen for several hours on a warm day and she was still killed when I introduced her to the flock without being in a cage.

 

[Judy]

It's not really safe to introduce new birds to a flock until the new ones are about the same size as the older ones, for just that reason. It's a good idea to house them near each other where they can see and hear each other as you did, but this needs to be maintained til their sized are about the same, for maximum safety. Even then, there will be some adjustment of the pecking order.

Not to beat a dead horse, but that is one of the advantages of broody raised chicks, when raised in the flock; when the mama is thorugh with the chicks, they are not nearly full size, but are already a part of the flock. Obviously, not all chicks can be raised by a broody, so this is why you read of people having or building "grow out pens," where the half grown chicks can fill out to adult size in relative safety.

I remember one member here who used to keep her chicks in a large pen inside the coop, I believe til around 9 or 10 weeks; I can't find her pic any more. then she would turn them loose; said she never had a problem with integration.

Heere's a good article on integration (obviously in this casse, you can skip the first part, about quarantine

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