Integrating 4 week olds with mature birds

[junebuggena]

Picked up a bag of grower/finisher at TSC today along with some oyster shell, will this be ok for my year old hens, I will be building a smaller enclosure this weekend that will keep the pullets separated until they get used to each other, Thanks everyone for your help!

What is the protein percentage? Most grower/finisher feeds are about 15% and formulated for meat birds. They are not sufficient for layers or growing chicks.

 

[Mumbelz Mayham]

When integrating chicks into a flock of adults, you can safely feed the entire flock chick feed with oyster shell for the layers to access so they still get the calcium they need.

I recommend you use a "panic room" for the chicks so they can have a safe refuge to return to if harassed. I describe the process of integration in my article below on brooding chicks outdoors. Using my method, chicks as young as two weeks can safely integrate with adults.

I wouldn't advise simply tossing them in cold with the adult chickens. You'll have a tragedy on your hands.

Cold no good. My rooster got sick quick. Got him in the late fall but kept em in the house. Put them outside n my boy got the sneezes. #VetRX
I'm even skeptical letting my rooster get close to the chicks

 

[Mark Armstrong]

So far, so good, after I let the big birds out for the afternoon I opened the gate on the panic room and let the littles out, they explored the coop and seem to stay in an area out of the way, the big birds don't seem to mind them being in there so it looks like a successful integration, we'll see what tomorrow brings