Introducing chicks to Point Of Lay chickens.

[lachie27]

Hi, I want to raise baby chickens but I know that it will be about 5 months until they start laying so I was thinking of buying 2 POL (point-of-lay) chickens and 2 1 week old chicks at the same time and then when the time is right introducing them to each other. I'm just wondering how to do this and do they require different feed when in the coop together. What are your thoughts?

 

[aart]

You can feed an 'all flock' type feed to all..something with about 20% protein...then provide oyster shell for the layers.

I like to feed a 'flock raiser' 20% protein crumble to all ages and genders, as non-layers(chicks, males and molting birds) do not need the extra calcium that is in layer feed and chicks and molters can use the extra protein. Makes life much simpler to store and distribute one type of chow that everyone can eat.

The higher protein crumble also offsets the 8% protein scratch grains and other kitchen/garden scraps I like to offer.

Calcium should be available at all times for the layers, I use oyster shell mixed with rinsed, dried, crushed chicken egg shells in a separate container.

Animal protein (mealworms, a little cheese - beware the salt content, meat scraps) is provided during molting and if I see any feather eating.


------------
Lots of different ways to integrate birds of different ages, but you'll need some extra space in your coop to do it.


Here's some notes I've taken on integration that I found to be very helpful.......
......take what applies or might help and ignore the rest.
See if any of them, or the links provided at the bottom, might offer some tips that will assist you in your situation:

Integration of new chickens into flock.

Consider medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
Poultry Biosecurity
BYC 'medical quarantine' search

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact. Integrating new birds of equal size works best.

For smaller chicks I used a large wire dog crate right in the coop for the smallers. I removed the crate door and put up a piece of wire fencing over the opening and bent up one corner just enough for the smallers to fit thru but the biggers could not. Feed and water inside the crate for the smallers. Make sure the smallers know how to get in and out of the crate opening before exposing them to the olders. this worked out great for me, by the time the crate was too small for the them to roost in there(about 3 weeks), they had pretty much integrated themselves to the olders.

If you have too many smallers to fit in a crate you can partition off part of the coop with a wire wall and make the same openings for smallers escape.


The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide out of line of sight and/or up and away from any bully birds.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best of mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

Another option, if possible, is to put all birds in a new coop and run, this takes the territoriality issues away.

Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[dheltzel]

Don't do it!
Get all your birds at once and raise them together. The POL ones will end up killing the younger ones, or stunting and hurting them. It would be cruel to the young ones. I know it's hard to wait in this "instant on cellphone" world, but it's worth it to raise the chicks yourselves and makes them pets. You will save yourself money and aggravation in the long run.

Buying POL seems like a great idea, but it's like getting a rescue dog from the pound (our dog is a rescue, not knocking that), you get any bad habits and fears and you miss the most fun part, watching them grow up, learn to fly, discover new treats, etc.

 

[aart]

Good point that starting with older birds can bring in pests and disease.
I did that and kind of regretted it, steepened the learning curve and am still dealing with it.

If properly handled, there's not a huge chance that older birds will kill or stunt younger ones.