How to add 27 new baby chicks to our flock of 8

[Megans Chicks]

Hi everyone! Normally I'm just a "stalker" who loves reading all the valuable information but I'm stumped on what to do in my current situation.

This spring my daughter got 8 chicks who are now lasting and loving the good life. Note we decided we needed more. Long story short, I went to get 16 chicks last week and knew I shouldn't take me husband but I did and came home with 27! Our current flock has a nice coop and run but we def need more room now so We have been working on making our horse stable into a chicken coop and adding a huge run to it. There are 2 horse stalls and I was going to make one of them the roosting room and the other the laying room.

How would you integrate the 2 flocks? Should I build a pen for the babies into the current coop and put the new chicks in there (when it's time)? Then when they are able to be out on their own put them all into the new coop and run together at one time ( with me there to supervise).

Or

Should I move the current flock over and build a separate pen in the new coop for the "babies". Doing it this way, would you put the separate pen in the laying room or the roosting room?

I just want to do this the easiest way possible.

Thank you for helping a newbie!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The best way is to pen the group's side by side so they get used to each other through the fence. Than after a week or two you start to let them mingle under supervision. When and if things get rough than separate them out. Next day do the same thing until they get along mostly. The bigger the area the quicker it goes.

 

[Mrs. K]

Chickens really hate change. So my theory is to do all the change at once and get it over with. Now I would not integrate the chicks right away, but I would do it in a couple of weeks. The best would be to set up hideouts and one way fences in the new place, and put the chicks there for a couple of days. Stomp around a bit so they find hide outs, then add the older hens. This would put your older, dominant birds in a strange place, taking the need to defend their home territory away.

That is how I would try it.

Mrs k

 

[Megans Chicks]

Thank you!

 

[aart]

I hope that horse stable is BIG!
Got pics?

Build separate but adjacent pens.
How old are the 27 chicks?

 

[chickens really]

Two Horse stalls will be fine..They are all the same size if made standard..
I would set up the stalls for a quick and easy transition...Keep them separate in the roost area..That many birds will need a large run...

Best of luck...

Cheers!

 

[Megans Chicks]

Here are some pictures I just took. The run is 1,875 square feet and that doesn't include the overhang from the barn. Each stall is 11.5' x 11.5'. The chicks are only a week old. They won't go outside for a bit, I just want to be ready to go when its time. I wish I could let them free range but my Lab Layne keeps us from doing so. But on the upside, she and my Australian Shephard Hazel are great at keeping all the nighttime critters away!

 

[chickens really]

Yes....That will be great.....

Cheers!