Introducing chickens

sasc

Chirping
Apr 22, 2017
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I have 12 7wk old chickens some are roosters. Im wanting to know if they are big enough to handle their own yet with the 15month old chickens which i have two roosters in there one being a bantam rooster. I've never seen those two fight.
Im just wanting to know the correct age to introduce them.
I know i just don't throw them inside and i have a section separate for them. Just wanting to know when i should.
Thanks
 
Temporarily divide the coop and run into a 'see-no-touch' set up, or improvise that however you can. This is a good age to begin to get acquainted and monitor reactions thru a shared fence.
 
I am glad your Bantam rooster behaves better than mine did, mine would not allow any other rooster in the pen. Mine even tried to fight my NH rooster in the pen next to him. I finally had to put up a visual block so he could not see the other rooster after I found him hanging by his foot in the fence.
 
My Cochin fights my nh rooster all the time.Mostly when one of them is through wire,very rare he will step to him when their free ranging together.
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I am glad your Bantam rooster behaves better than mine did, mine would not allow any other rooster in the pen. Mine even tried to fight my NH rooster in the pen next to him. I finally had to put up a visual block so he could not see the other rooster after I found him hanging by his foot in the fence.
 
Hello I'm new to the chicken community and I have I a rather small flock, four hens to be exact. I started my chicken flock when I found a chicken in the woods, believe it or not, so I rescued her. There are no forms in the community and when I call the SPCA conservation in my area they said it looked more like a poaching situation it and chickens were used as bait. My dog found the only surviving chicken. So last year I built a coupe adopted to moorhens to abide by my city bylaws and started my backyard chickens. My rescue chicken was old when we found her and she recently passed so to abide by bylaws I had to adopt another chicken. Because their social I didn't want to just get one small check and have her isolated for so long so I adopted two. So, two of them are just over a year old one of them is two weeks the other is one-week-old. I have the two young ones separated until they're older of course but I'm I'm concerned about integrating them. I spoken with some farmers and read a lot about integration techniques however I'm concerned about food. My two older hens are on layer feed will my young ones are still on there early diet. Because my two new ones are Heritage breed I was told they will not start producing eggs until about 8 months old. This has led me to concerns about feed how do I integrate them but make sure my laying hens are getting a layer pellets Well my two new hens are getting their grower pelletts? No one is really covering that part and integration techniques. I'm not allowed to have two Coupes on my property so I can't house them separately overwinter. Right now I have my two small ones indoors under a heating lamp because they're too small to be out with my hens. When my two new girls are old enough to be integrated into the flock, can someone tell me how to make sure they're all eating properly?

Here's some more information in case it helps. A local grocery store gives me their old produce that's no longer fit for human consumption but still fresh enough for chickens. So my hens eat about 50% pellets 50% fresh fruits and vegetables. My city won't let hens free range but when I am outside in the backyard with them I do let them run about my yard. As for the breeds, I have one Rhode Island red and one light Sussex which are my two older girls. My new girls are a silver laced Wyandotte and a Bielefelder.

Any tips, advice, or information would be greatly appreciated.
 
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@ TayRae: A couple of things:
  • It really helps us give advice if you say a general area where you live, due to climate.
  • Chicks do not need heat 24/7, but they do need shelter. They need warm spots and cool spots, and I get mine outside very early
  • A one way gate can help with integration - where chicks can go through easily and big hens cannot
  • What are the dimensions of your coop/run. As that too can affect things
  • Having hide outs and mini walls, and roosts in the run, gives more interest to the chickens and lets them get away from each other
  • Feed everything flock feed or chick starter, and serve a dish of oyster shell on the side. The chicks will ignore it.
Good luck, it is a fun hobby.

MRs K
 
@ TayRae: A couple of things:
  • It really helps us give advice if you say a general area where you live, due to climate.
  • Chicks do not need heat 24/7, but they do need shelter. They need warm spots and cool spots, and I get mine outside very early
  • A one way gate can help with integration - where chicks can go through easily and big hens cannot
  • What are the dimensions of your coop/run. As that too can affect things
  • Having hide outs and mini walls, and roosts in the run, gives more interest to the chickens and lets them get away from each other
  • Feed everything flock feed or chick starter, and serve a dish of oyster shell on the side. The chicks will ignore it.
Good luck, it is a fun hobby.

MRs K
I live in Canada so it's pretty cold here right now we're we're getting some days in the thirties but our nights are still dropping to just below double digits. Right now my heat light is turned off for them but I bring them inside at night due to the drop in temperature. The chicks have little run they go in next to my other hens during the day.

I've been reading a lot about flock integration but I was really concerned about food. Thank you so much for the recommendations and advise.
 

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