ReelFaster
Songster
That is a mystery why you lost so many especially all the way up to 6 months old.
Am in a similar boat, I have 3 hens 12-18 months since Feb. Picked up 2, 2 week old chicks few weeks back (tomorrow they will be 6 weeks old). Boy did they grow fast and outgrew the bin we have them in. I slapped something bigger together out of some scrap wood I had and now in the morning I keep them outside till dark I bring them back in. I am trying to hold out as long as I can till they get a bit bigger before introducing them to the big girls.
I plan on introducing them slowly as suggested by various resources. My coop is up off the ground about 32-36" sitting on 4x4's so I built a gate under it and hardware clothed it off all the way around. Built a makeshift mini coop & perch as well inside it and plan on having the two little ones live there for 2 weeks. Only the gate is between them and the big girls so they can see each other all day and I plan on putting some food down in that area so they can somewhat interact. My goal is to do this next week when they are 7 weeks old and introduce at 9 weeks full time, if I can do 10 weeks I will.
Am in a similar boat, I have 3 hens 12-18 months since Feb. Picked up 2, 2 week old chicks few weeks back (tomorrow they will be 6 weeks old). Boy did they grow fast and outgrew the bin we have them in. I slapped something bigger together out of some scrap wood I had and now in the morning I keep them outside till dark I bring them back in. I am trying to hold out as long as I can till they get a bit bigger before introducing them to the big girls.
I plan on introducing them slowly as suggested by various resources. My coop is up off the ground about 32-36" sitting on 4x4's so I built a gate under it and hardware clothed it off all the way around. Built a makeshift mini coop & perch as well inside it and plan on having the two little ones live there for 2 weeks. Only the gate is between them and the big girls so they can see each other all day and I plan on putting some food down in that area so they can somewhat interact. My goal is to do this next week when they are 7 weeks old and introduce at 9 weeks full time, if I can do 10 weeks I will.