I would like to add two chicks to my existing flock of 6 G.L.Wyandottes. I have absolutely no experience adding new members to the flock, so I'm asking you all for your experience and insight.
How much room do you have? How big, in feet, is your coop? How big, in feet, is your run? Some photos showing the inside of your coop and showing your run could come in very handy. When will you add them, thinking about Michigan weather? Do the older chickens have access to the run when they are awake or will they be locked in the coop section only. Where do you plan to brood them? How old will the chicks be when you get them? Just hatched or point of lay?
Some questions:
- How old do they need to be?
This depends on your set-up and how you manage them. My brooder is in the coop, the chicks go there straight out of the incubator or from the post office. Essentially they grow up with the flock. I have a fairly large coop (8' x 12') and over 3,000 square feet outside that they pretty much have access to right after they wake up in the morning. My chicks are basically roaming with the adults at five weeks. If you don't raise them with the flock and if you don't have sufficient room you can't do that. That's why all the questions above, it makes a difference.
- How do I make the initial introduction?
Depends on how old they are and your set-up. There are some generic things we generally suggest as we don't know anything about your set-up or their age. Generally house them across wire for a while so they get used to each other. When you do let them out together give them as much room as you can. You may be able to improve the quality of what room you have by adding clutter. Clutter means things they can hide under, behind, or over. Something that breaks line of sight. Widely separated feeding and watering stations can help. Then there are tricks that might apply depending on what your facilities look like or how old they are.
How do I feed the mixture of layers and pullets?
Growing chicks should not eat a high calcium diet. You can get a lot of debate on how much protein you need to feed a mixed age flock like that. For me, I'd feed them all a low calcium feed of whatever protein content you are happy with and offer oyster shell on the side for the ones that need the calcium for their egg shells. The ones that need that calcium seem to know it, the others might eat some oyster shell but shouldn't eat enough to hurt themselves.
What if there's too much fighting?
Then you deal with it. What you need to do depends on the regular things: age, set-up, and room. Knowing what that fighting looks like and when and where it takes place may help us come up with specific suggestions.
