Integrating new chickens

[Stephanie8806]

Hey there BYC! As any real chicken addict, we’re only in August and I am already thinking about adding chickens to my flock next year... As I am a BIG planner, I want to pick your brains!

We currently have a flock of 12 pullets. Got them as chicks in the end of March so they will be over a year old when new babies are integrated. We want a flock of 18, so we’re looking to add 6 next year.

I think I have a pretty good plan for keeping them separated for the first several weeks in the coop and by dividing the run.... but there are some logistics I am unclear on.

First, how long should new chicks be kept separated from the adult birds? If they grow side by side(with a barrier while they adjust to each other), how long does it take? Is it mostly until they are big enough to hold their own? Say, 12 weeks?

That raises the question of feed. Do the new hens need to be kept separate until they can consume the layer feed that the older chickens eat? That would be at about 16 weeks, and for a small time chicken “farmer” that’s off grid and has no outbuildings besides our newly built 8x10 coop, that brings more concern. Once our girls hit 12 weeks, they were pretty much full grown and needed much more space. In instances like this, is it really the end of the world if new hens start eating later feed a few weeks early? I obviously don’t want to damage my hens health, so I’m just asking so I can do right by them

I want to be able to rotate new birds in every so often, and maybe eventually start hatching our own chicks... but I’d like to not need to have two completely separate coops to make this happen. I could see myself building a small secondary coop down the road, but not for a few years. I feel like there’s got to be a way to do it with one for now!?

 

[Stephanie8806]

Bump

 

[toriiemariie]

I don’t have any advice but I’m curious what they say. I have six 9 week old pullets that mostly free range and I’ve got six 2 week old in the brooder now and it just dawned on me reading your post that feeding is gonna be challenging once the babes can come out.

 

[Stephanie8806]

I don’t have any advice but I’m curious what they say. I have six 9 week old pullets that mostly free range and I’ve got six 2 week old in the brooder now and it just dawned on me reading your post that feeding is gonna be challenging once the babes can come out.

I think that’s my biggest thing! Down the road I’d like to hatch my own chicks to replenish my flock, but I’m not sure how to handle the feed. I mean, if I let the broody mama just care for them, I’d still need to feed her layer feed and them chick feed... I see people do that all the time, I’m wondering if you have to separate the mama and the babies from the flock.

 

[anvia]

Well.... it will all depend on your set up....
The way we do it is to move the chick house & their integrated run into the main chickens area as soon as possible - for us that’s dictated by them coming off heat. This allows them all to get to know each other and the older ones also help to socialise the younger ones. At first the older birds will be overwhelmed with curiosity but after a while they all get used to each other. Once they are old enough, (or in our case large enough to stay safely in the main enclosure - we use electric poultry netting & the holes dictate how big the chicks have to be) then we open up the chicks run so they can mingle in the day, but let them continue to use their own chick house at night - usually they’ll go to bed in the chick house where they are used to living. We keep feeding them chick crumb in the chick run and grown up feed in the usual way - the older ones will trough down the chick feed at first but they soon get over the novelty and much prefer their own feed & the little ones tend to stick with their feeder as the older ones will often chase them away from the adult feed. After a while we then start to pop them one by one by hand into the adult hen house after dark and over the course of a few weeks they will migrate over to the big hen house. Once they choose to go to bed on their own with the adult birds we remove the chick house. If at any point there is any bullying we go back a step for a few days or so, and slow down a little. As long as you have enough space for everyone it should be a fairly smooth process - the big ones will put the little ones in their place so you must have enough room for them to be able to get away when they are chased off exploring the feed or dust bath or whatever. The earlier they get to know each other the easier and faster we tend to find the process.
Hope that helps!

 

[anvia]

I think that’s my biggest thing! Down the road I’d like to hatch my own chicks to replenish my flock, but I’m not sure how to handle the feed. I mean, if I let the broody mama just care for them, I’d still need to feed her layer feed and them chick feed... I see people do that all the time, I’m wondering if you have to separate the mama and the babies from the flock.

If you have a broody raising your chicks then mum will integrate her chicks in according to her position in the pecking order. If she’s high up no one will cross her... if shes lower down you’ll probably have had to separate her anyway before the chicks hatch - for everyone’s safety & to ensure she eats & drinks. Once hatched Mum will tell her chicks what to eat and pretty much handle everything! You may have an opinion on what is best to feed to whom - but mum will always win! The best way we have found to attempt to influence what the chicks eats is to use chick feeders that only the little ones can use.... and tempt their attention with tasty treats in there - but your mummy hen may not agree - or she may decide to re-design the feeder so she can eat there too... in our experience chicks raised by their mum tend to do very well. My advice is to provide both feeds and then don’t worry about about it - let mum do her thing - She knows way more about being a chicken that we do!

It is always wise to have a second little house preferably with an integrated run - it doesn’t have to be expensive or massive. A second hand rabbit hutch or similar will often do. That way you have somewhere to isolate sick or injured hens, separate broodies and a safe place to integrate new hens or chicks. Otherwise you will have to consider partitioning what you already have. Either way be sure to plan for it before you need it - and be sure you have enough space in total for the numbers you want to keep.

 

[Stephanie8806]

Well.... it will all depend on your set up....

I have an elevated 8’x10’ coop, and we have an attached “predator proof” run that’s roughly 20’x25’. We will be attaching a much larger fenced yard, maybe 100’x80’, next year.

I think the part that worries me most is when the new birds are ready to integrate with the flock. I use three stages of feed, so I’m at a loss for how to segregate feeding between pullets that still need the higher protein and no calcium that is provided with a grower feed, versus layers that need a bit less protein but definitely the extra calcium. I’ve read that feeding pullets calcium/layer feed before the 16-20 week mark can cause kidney damage, and I’ve ready that laying hens can also have health problems if they eat too much protein.

When I imagine it, there’s that couple weeks between maybe 10 weeks old and 16 where there could be feed overlap. I’m wondering how much of a problem it will be

 

[anvia]

It’s the excess calcium in prepared layers meal that can cause illness in the younger ones. One way around that it is to feed straights and add a separate & plentiful source of oyster shell - only the birds that need the extra calcium will choose to eat the oyster shell, once everyone is old enough you can go back to commercial layers meal. Free ranging birds will source their additional own protein too - again it’s going to depend on your set up as to what sources of nutrition your birds have access to.
Chickens are territorial and the little ones will stay with their feeder for as long as they are allowed predominantly because the older ones will shoo they away from their feeder! A little adult feed here and there won’t hurt - but as you already know a lot will. You’ll have to decide what works best for your set up. We find access to both works for us and the adults stick to their feed and the little ones stay with their feeder. We keep the feeders in the same locations as it’s part of the territory. Always have more than one feeder & waterer and separate them so one bird can’t guard them all.

 

[Stephanie8806]

If you have a broody raising your chicks then mum will integrate her chicks in according to her position in the pecking order. If she’s high up no one will cross her... if shes lower down you’ll probably have had to separate her anyway before the chicks hatch - for everyone’s safety & to ensure she eats & drinks. Once hatched Mum will tell her chicks what to eat and pretty much handle everything! You may have an opinion on what is best to feed to whom - but mum will always win! The best way we have found to attempt to influence what the chicks eats is to use chick feeders that only the little ones can use.... and tempt their attention with tasty treats in there - but your mummy hen may not agree - or she may decide to re-design the feeder so she can eat there too... in our experience chicks raised by their mum tend to do very well. My advice is to provide both feeds and then don’t worry about about it - let mum do her thing - She knows way more about being a chicken that we do!

It is always wise to have a second little house preferably with an integrated run - it doesn’t have to be expensive or massive. A second hand rabbit hutch or similar will often do. That way you have somewhere to isolate sick or injured hens, separate broodies and a safe place to integrate new hens or chicks. Otherwise you will have to consider partitioning what you already have. Either way be sure to plan for it before you need it - and be sure you have enough space in total for the numbers you want to keep.

Thank you! Eventually we will have a mama hatching our eggs, but for next year I’d be buying hatched chicks.

 

[Stephanie8806]

It’s the excess calcium in prepared layers meal that can cause illness in the younger ones. One way around that it is to feed straights and add a separate & plentiful source of oyster shell - only the birds that need the extra calcium will choose to eat the oyster shell, once everyone is old enough you can go back to commercial layers meal. Free ranging birds will source their additional own protein too - again it’s going to depend on your set up as to what sources of nutrition your birds have access to.
Chickens are territorial and the little ones will stay with their feeder for as long as they are allowed predominantly because the older ones will shoo they away from their feeder! A little adult feed here and there won’t hurt - but as you already know a lot will. You’ll have to decide what works best for your set up. We find access to both works for us and the adults stick to their feed and the little ones stay with their feeder. We keep the feeders in the same locations as it’s part of the territory. Always have more than one feeder & waterer and separate them so one bird can’t guard them all.

That all sounds great, thank you. The grower feed I use is only 18% anyways so maybe I’ll put the whole flock on that while the younger ones catch up, and just offer more oyster/eggshell free choice. I have one small wall hanger dish already, maybe I’ll just add another.

I appreciate your time and your experience with integrating young birds to an established flock! I’m a first time chicken mama(apart from the chickens we had when I was a child), and I just want to make sure I have the healthiest and most self-sufficient flock I can