INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Leahs Mom]

Separate the adults in with a temporary divider so the kiddos can get some!

 

[Lengerich Farms]

Couple questions : ( I lost my grand fathers homesteading handbook that would have all the answers, so here come the dumb questions)

1) I have 5 hens, 1 lays almost daily. The other day I did get two eggs, but I think that was from my other RIR (have two) two of the other birds have laid, and the only one that's supposed to lay white eggs hasn't laid the month I've had her. Reason? Suggestions?

2) the three chicks we just got...... How long is the process of brooding them before they're ready for the coop? No way to tell how old they are, but the Buff Brahma is twice the size as the Wellsummer and Blue Orp. Is it a matter of weeks, months? Just curious. Can't wait To see them all running around together! TIA!

 

[Faraday40]

I discovered that anything can be used as a divider. Here's an old screen from a window that I grabbed when I needed to separate my 2 dueling broodies. I was able to remove it & they pretty much still keep the division. They're always switching sides & calling their chicks who obediently follow. They would normally be free ranging by now, but the hawks are terrible at the moment,

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Faraday40
Great Post! Lots of things can be used for temp dividers if you have things laying around.

I make temp dividers of various types with the plastic chicken netting from Tractor Supply (Don't buy from Menards - it's different and more brittle and doesn't last as long.....)


Some visuals ....

I needed something temporary here to separate a roo outside.....



Used eye hooks on the wood side with a clip. Totally temporary and can re-roll the fencing to use for something else as needed. Can also use this way indoors if you need to separate inside the chicken house.



Clipped to kennel pen on the other side.




An old swingset makes a nice temporary pen when needed.... Again using temporary plastic netting, a kennel panel, etc. (Note: Plastic netting IS NOT PREDATOR PROOF. This pen was used for daytime only for a specific quarantine situation when I got some birds that were a few months old.)

 

[Faraday40]

Couple questions : ( I lost my grand fathers homesteading handbook that would have all the answers, so here come the dumb questions)

1) I have 5 hens, 1 lays almost daily. The other day I did get two eggs, but I think that was from my other RIR (have two) two of the other birds have laid, and the only one that's supposed to lay white eggs hasn't laid the month I've had her. Reason? Suggestions?

2) the three chicks we just got...... How long is the process of brooding them before they're ready for the coop? No way to tell how old they are, but the Buff Brahma is twice the size as the Wellsummer and Blue Orp. Is it a matter of weeks, months? Just curious. Can't wait To see them all running around together! TIA!

1. The simple answer is that it could be molt or just the stress of the move. Time will tell. There are plenty of other reasons why a hen stops laying, so look over her health to be sure.

2. I follow the "look but don't peck" approach to integration. When the weather is nice, I allow the chicks to have grass time inside a playpen or chicken tractor. (Separated from big hens for their safety & allows the chickens to see ea other.) When chicks are free from supplemental heat (4-6wks), I move a small cage into the run where they will sleep at night & then spend their days in the tractor. After few days, I begin training them to walk back & forth between the two. (Then all I have to do is open the door & they go where needed.) Around 8 wks old, I stop closing the door behind them, so they have the choice to stay in the safety of the cage or free range in the yard. Eventually I also take the sleeping cage away & the chicks find a spot on the lowest roost. It's kind of a slow process, but having them all sleeping under one roof is so much easier. The chicks do get a peck now & then to establish pecking order & the young pullets quickly learn to avoid confrontation of the hens. They usually stay separated (by their choice) until they pullets begin to lay. The time from age 2-4 months is odd. Almost like having 2 flocks. Eventually mine have always melded into one flock on their own.
Note: broody-raised chicks are different. Mama does all the work. They sleep with Mama & she integrates them into the flock.

Here's a cute video of my chicks putting themselves in the run & coop. (re-run. I posted this one before.)

 

[Leahs Mom]

That video always makes me

I think it's the music!!!! So appropriate

 

[Lengerich Farms]

1. The simple answer is that it could be molt or just the stress of the move. Time will tell. There are plenty of other reasons why a hen stops laying, so look over her health to be sure. 2. I follow the "look but don't peck" approach to integration. When the weather is nice, I allow the chicks to have grass time inside a playpen or chicken tractor. (Separated from big hens for their safety & allows the chickens to see ea other.) When chicks are free from supplemental heat (4-6wks), I move a small cage into the run where they will sleep at night & then spend their days in the tractor. After few days, I begin training them to walk back & forth between the two. (Then all I have to do is open the door & they go where needed.) Around 8 wks old, I stop closing the door behind them, so they have the choice to stay in the safety of the cage or free range in the yard. Eventually I also take the sleeping cage away & the chicks find a spot on the lowest roost. It's kind of a slow process, but having them all sleeping under one roof is so much easier. The chicks do get a peck now & then to establish pecking order & the young pullets quickly learn to avoid confrontation of the hens. They usually stay separated (by their choice) until they pullets begin to lay. The time from age 2-4 months is odd. Almost like having 2 flocks. Eventually mine have always melded into one flock on their own. Note: broody-raised chicks are different. Mama does all the work. They sleep with Mama & she integrates them into the flock. Here's a cute video of my chicks putting themselves in the run & coop. (re-run. I posted this one before.)

Okay, so just to make sure I'm following correctly: Face time so everyone sees each other but can't peck Move a smaller pen within the hens pen to let the chicks out during the day, and cooped in at night Let that run its course until they integrate. As for the eggs, all the chickens seem healthy. The EE (at least I was told she was. Lays mint green eggs, she the hen in my picture) gave me four eggs before she started laying, the one that can't be identified hasn't laid at all, and the pheasant looking one has laid a couple (she's too fat to fly to the nesting box, so I set one in the floor for her). The app won't let me post pictures, so when I Have a decent charge I'll go so a photo shoot. The duck problem was resolved Wol some old wire book case shelves from the fifes dorm days, zip ties, bricks, and the bottom of and old rabbit cage. Ducklings can get in and out, Pekins can't.

 

[Lengerich Farms]

Mildred. No one has been able to give me a straight answer on what she is

Lucille, the "EE.

Hilda. Hasn't laid an egg since day one. Smallest of the bunch. No one has been able to identify her either.

My first hen

Reba. She's been laying pretty steadily once she got settled in.

I have another RIR, Ruby, but I backed into her and kicked her, so she's not happy with me right now :-(. She was my buddy, may take awhile to get her to like me again.

 

[Faraday40]

@Lengerich Farms
Mildred is very pretty. Both she & Hilda do not have very red combs. My hens look more pink combed than red when they are not laying. Since Hilda is missing some tail feathers, perhaps she's molting.

Here's a link to get you started.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-see-but-don-t-touch-method

There's also some Youtube videos about new chick introductions. I try to give a lot of face time as they're growing up to make it easier. I free range my adult birds for most of the day & have multiple feeders/waterers around the yard. But if I kept them enclosed in a run 24/7, then my approach may be different.

As with everything chicken-related, there's more than one way to do things. Basically, you have to figure out what works for you in your situation.

 

[Crista]

Well the silly girls are shy but the boys aren't.
When I finally get a couple together, they spook and run a banshee! They are so funny!
Oh well there are buff Orpington hens at 5 months old and some mixed reds at same age. If anyone is interested just pm me. I am located near Warsaw. Thanks. Crista

PS. My chicks were fed organic, non-gmo, and free range on my no-chemical yard.