JulieBeth07
Songster
I'm looking for some help with introducing my flocks and would love some guidance! I'll be posting this in the chick section as well as the ducklings...
Flock info...
We have (13) 4 month olds out in the big girl coop that are the original flock (barred rock, white leghorn, red sex linked). We also have 2 pekins (1 female/1 drake) The ducks and chicks were all raised together from the beginning (in separate brooders but next to each other)
Then we have a second flock of (5) 5 week ameraucanas, (4) 4 week old silver laced wyandotte, and (4) 4 week old black austalorps all in the same brooder. We also have a separate brooder with 5 ducklings all females
.. 1 pekin, 2 gold star hybrids, and 2 buffs, also 4 weeks old.
Housing/range info...
(I'll attach some photos for reference because I'm terrible with explaining)
The big girls have a coop they go in at night that has a secure run they use early morning. The ducks have a seperate pen that backs right up to the run, but is seperate. We also have a "garden" area we let the girls and the ducks run around and free range until dark.
Question...
I need to let the babies out to play without them being with the big girls/ducks. During the day while the big girls are out in the garden.. would it be ok to put the littles in the run secured? Do I need to be worried about disease? Should I maybe introduce a dust bath in the brooder with some of the dirt from the run first?
For the duck people out there..as far as the ducklings... could I maybe put them in the duck pen for a little while during the day.. while the big ducks are out? So they could see one another but not get to each other? Or would that cause a problem with territory? We were also maybe thinking of putting an old dog kennel in the duck pen to put the ducklings in...
Thank you in advance for all of your help!
Flock info...
We have (13) 4 month olds out in the big girl coop that are the original flock (barred rock, white leghorn, red sex linked). We also have 2 pekins (1 female/1 drake) The ducks and chicks were all raised together from the beginning (in separate brooders but next to each other)
Then we have a second flock of (5) 5 week ameraucanas, (4) 4 week old silver laced wyandotte, and (4) 4 week old black austalorps all in the same brooder. We also have a separate brooder with 5 ducklings all females
.. 1 pekin, 2 gold star hybrids, and 2 buffs, also 4 weeks old.Housing/range info...
(I'll attach some photos for reference because I'm terrible with explaining)
The big girls have a coop they go in at night that has a secure run they use early morning. The ducks have a seperate pen that backs right up to the run, but is seperate. We also have a "garden" area we let the girls and the ducks run around and free range until dark.
Question...
I need to let the babies out to play without them being with the big girls/ducks. During the day while the big girls are out in the garden.. would it be ok to put the littles in the run secured? Do I need to be worried about disease? Should I maybe introduce a dust bath in the brooder with some of the dirt from the run first?
For the duck people out there..as far as the ducklings... could I maybe put them in the duck pen for a little while during the day.. while the big ducks are out? So they could see one another but not get to each other? Or would that cause a problem with territory? We were also maybe thinking of putting an old dog kennel in the duck pen to put the ducklings in...
Thank you in advance for all of your help!
