How to successfully grow flock? See Post#5

[sab]

Scenario
I have 3 adult hens and 1 adult duck - they are a bonded flock - 1 waddes and the others run with a wobble.... they waddle and wobble around together.

I got 2 biddy hens on April 18th - probably just a few days old - so now they are like 9-10 weeks old. They still peep.
Both 'flocks' have been kept separate.

I'm looking at the local farm store who has chicks still - some look as old as my biddies and some look much younger. I'm more interested in the younger birds - still have their baby down on them. I haven't inquired about the breed or ages yet. Wanted to know if I can add young birds in with my two 10 week olds or will their be mayhem in the tractor over night??? I really don't want to add a 3rd separate flock in yet another living situation. As it is, I am letting the older birds free roam a while in the evenings with the youngsters. I plan for them ALL to be together in the new coop being built. I am taking that process slow.

Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on whether I can safely add a few more biddies to my now adolescent twosome flock or have I waited too long.

 

[silkie101]

hi i have heard no you should not mix younger chickens with older ones beacause they get picked on by the older chickens.

 

[RachaelS]

I have found numbers help with age, if you are getting a larger group around the same age (week or two diff) they should be okay with the 2. Not with the adults. Maybe some one else can chime in

 

[lauriej57]

I think that sometimes it depends on the breeds. If I were you, I would get the older chicks, and have a back up plan in case it doesn't work.

A long story that I won't go into, but I ended up with three 2 weeks olds, that didn't work out where I wanted them. I ended up,at 2 weeks old, putting them in with 3 banties, a cochin, a brahma and a red pyle. The banties were were 10 weeks old. I put a plastic tote in the coop, where the chicks could run around to hide, but the others couldn't get at them. The cochin took right to them and protected them from the others. Within 3 days, these 3 babies had 3 very young mothers looking after them. I would've never attempted it if the older ones were standard size chicks. The size difference would've been way to much. As it is, 4 week later, the young ones are bigger than the banties and all is well.

If you do it, make sure you do it on a day when you will be around, alot, to make sure everything is going well.

 

[sab]

All these answers are good and I appreciate them. I want to grow my flock. I've read all about keeping them separate and introductions and all that. I ordered 5 hens this spring. I am ending up with 2 - for reasons.... And I wanted to add more - at least 5. It's a lot of trouble doing this slow introduction thing. As is now, the older 4 birds free range in the evenings with the younger ones fine. Only one of the older ones is bossy. I keep an eye on them. But I was hoping to have 8 hens this year total and I'm only going to have 5. I was doing this chicken thing slowly. I have 2 tractors. We are building a 10x12 coop so ....

Do any of you have successful stories on slowly growing the flock by additions each year??

 

[smokeykk]

Hey, growing the flock by year is what i plan to do. But I only have *i think* 2 pullets. So I don't know whats gonna happen
And also Biddy means older hen. (your 9-10 week old chicks aren't biddies)

 

[sab]

what are little birds called? just chicks? boy, do I feel stupid.... now you see how far I have to go to "get it" right....

 

[smokeykk]

Yes, chicks. and females under a year are called pullets, males are called cockerels and after they are a year they are hens and roosters. Then, i think after they stop laying eggs the females are called biddies.

 

[sab]

hence "you old biddy".... I guess....

 

[blacksilkie]

If adding new chicks try and keep them close to the same age/size. What I do is use a portable cage for a few days. I put the new chicks in it next to the run/coop of the flock I want to add them to.That way they can get use to them without being able to get to them.