Introducing new chicks to the coop

[Highland Hens]

Yea we have thrown some in before with the flock years ago but they were much older and it wasn't a smooth transition. So this time - I have room and an idea for integrating the new chicks with the feathered chicks. But I don't think I am going to integrate them with my two year old barred rocks at all. I think the old hens will just go to the parents ranch sooner than I was thinking for retirement. And we can get some eggs from the ranch until our New girls start laying. Thank you

 

[Kilsharion]

Sounds like a good plan. Me, I'm eyeing my guinea hens and contemplating when to schedule freezer camp so I can add some coral blue keets.

Sounds like your crew has a better chance at living past two years than mine do.

 

[Highland Hens]

Yea they would have probably went to freezer camp to, if my parents in law didn't need some laying hens. And these old barred rock hens are super tame. They hardly get out of your way when you walk past them lol. We spoil our animals whether they are for freezer camp or not. I love it, sitting in the yard on a cool summer day watching the goats chickens and rabbits run around the yard, the way God intended it to be. If they ever say we can't have animals where we live, I would move.

 

[sillycmoy]

I was wondering the same thing. I have 2 rescued chicks that are fully feathered, and are just too big to be with the littles now, so I actually have them in a separate brooder right now, and the chicken run will fully be done today so they can go out during the day, still too cold at night for my comfort. So excited, just waiting for my hubby to come home with 5 feet of chicken wire, we were short. But I'm worried that my 2 older girls well be brats to the 9 littles once they are ready to come outside. They were all together in the same brooder for 2 full weeks, and I only separated them this week because the 2 big girls were just to big, no fights or anything, they just needed more room, so do you think they will remember each other? I sure hope so, because I'm not quite sure how I will go about separating them, unless we have the fence done for their 75 ft by 20 ft free range, but I figured that once we got the run and coop done, we would be good for at least a month to build the rest. We built the coop under our 14 foot high deck, and then fully framed with chicken wire 8 ft by 12 ft enclosure to lock them fully up at night. We live up in the mountains and get very large birds, so I want them fully locked at night.

Any thoughts on the 2 older girls remembering the littles.

 

[RoosterMoose]

We just placed our checks out in their coop three days ago and today my wife scurried them outside. But after it got dark chicks did not go back in the coop. They are all feathered out except for maybe one who's got a little ways to go we call her the runt. Does anyone have an idea of how long it takes for chickens to understand the need to go back in the coop at night. I believe it's just a matter of time for my wife thinks everything should happen instantly. Anyone have any suggestions

I have the same issue. I just leave them be inside the roost, and when they are ready to come outside they will. By that time they may or may not have developed the sense to come back inside. I think they just need to get an idea of their surroundings so they know where to go back to. Even my 10 week old barred rocks got stuck outside in a thunderstorm yesterday... and didn't go back in the coop until dark when they were all soaking wet. Not the smartest creatures lol

 

[fowlmouthgirls]

I got two new chicks for my flock yesterday and they are 3 days old. The lady who sold them to me said not to introduce them to my 4 other birds because they would peck them to death. My other girls are 2-3 weeks old. I'd like to find out if this is the general consensus or if she was being overly cautious. My original four were brought together at different times in the last 3 weeks, and I haven't had any issues. My Buff Orpington Goldie seems to be worried about the babies and keeps trying to jump out of the bin to see them in the bin next door

 

[Kilsharion]

I got two new chicks for my flock yesterday and they are 3 days old. The lady who sold them to me said not to introduce them to my 4 other birds because they would peck them to death. My other girls are 2-3 weeks old. I'd like to find out if this is the general consensus or if she was being overly cautious. My original four were brought together at different times in the last 3 weeks, and I haven't had any issues. My Buff Orpington Goldie seems to be worried about the babies and keeps trying to jump out of the bin to see them in the bin next door

If they are only two to three weeks old, introduce them on a day that you have some time. Drop the little ones in, show them food and water locations, then keep watch. You may have one or two try to peck the itty bitties. When they do, thump them. They'll stop. Of course, I had one that I had to thump so much he started running as soon as the brooder door opened...but, he did eventually get the idea. Considering he was a three week old LF and the one he was pecking was a one day old bantam....I had to make sure it stopped. They're best of buds, now. After you feel that things look good and you haven't seen a peck for a while, get up and wander around and do your daily stuff. Stop back by the brooder a few times through the day to keep an eye on things, administer the appropriate thump as needed and by the end of the weekend, all should be well.

I've found that four weeks tends to be the cut off for me for being able to introduce brand new chicks to a brooder. Then again, four weeks is when I move chicks out to the coops, too....


Realize, though - this is coming from someone who runs constant mixed brooders (in ages, sizes and species). So, I am outside the norm. Most are a bit more cautious than I am.

 

[fowlmouthgirls]

Thanks kilsharion! I have them in there now and it seems my low girl from the original 4 is being bullied by the babies! Go figure!

 

[Kilsharion]

Thanks kilsharion! I have them in there now and it seems my low girl from the original 4 is being bullied by the babies! Go figure!

LOL - yeah, that can happen. I have a little Nankin (true bantam) that tends to try to bully my Muscovy ducklings...You should see the size disparity. It's pretty funny. Just keep interrupting the picking and it will eventually drop to a pretty random thing instead of constant.

 

[Marci]

Kilsharion, that is such a nice small coop for the little ones. Is it possible for you to send plans on how you built it? We have a rather large coop for our 5 chickens, which we saved from being killed by their previous owner. He told us they were too old and were not laying anymore. Since we took them, they have been giving us a dozen or so eggs a day. 5 weeks ago we had babies that were hatched in the coop. We took them in and they are doing just fine. We want to put them out with the others, but we're just not sure how to do it. I know that we cannot just put them, in with the bigger birds, that they will need to see each other but not be in the same run or coop together.