Introducing new chicks.

[Country girl 76]

Need a bit of advice on what's the best course in introducing new chicks with my 3 big girls. Have two young roosters and two hens they are about 8 weeks old. Any ideas would be great. Thanks.

 

[Sylviaanne]

Need a bit of advice on what's the best course in introducing new chicks with my 3 big girls. Have two young roosters and two hens they are about 8 weeks old. Any ideas would be great. Thanks.

I haven't had any problems putting new chicks with the older birds but they don't blend at first. So far, I have either bought or incubated my chicks. Those that I buy or hatch, segregate themselves for quite a while before they blend. I always put the new ones out with the others in a cage for their safety, until they get used to the older birds and the older birds to get used to them. I don't quarantine my birds deliberately when I buy them but I get them so young, just a few days old, that I keep them in the house where I can keep a heat lamp on them and watch how they are doing until they are fully feathered or I run out of room.

Were I you, I'd quarantine them if you haven't and then put them out in a cage for everyone to get acquainted and then eventually start letting them out of the cage for some meeting and greeting time. Just keep an eye on them until you know how the older birds will react. Sylvia

 

[Country girl 76]

We bought the new chicks when they were about a week old, they've been in the house since with the heat lamp, but now pretty much have all or most of their feathers and are running out of room. Lol. So not sure if I would still have to quarantine them.

 

[Sylviaanne]

I'm not sure either because I don't quarantine them on purpose. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to look for if I am quarantining them on purpose. All most all of my boughten chicks came from Heartland and Alan's chicks seem to be the healthiest that I have ever seen. The only losses I have had were due to my carelessness. Sylvia

 

[Country girl 76]

Thanks Sylvia. We had bought 5 but one of the three Roos we ended up with died. They were playing one minute and the next one little guy was dead. We figured he must of broken his neck cause they were all flying around in the run of the big coop while the big girls were up in the enclosed part. Had them in the run just so it would be easier to catch them after cleaning their box.

 

[Sylviaanne]

Thanks Sylvia. We had bought 5 but one of the three Roos we ended up with died. They were playing one minute and the next one little guy was dead. We figured he must of broken his neck cause they were all flying around in the run of the big coop while the big girls were up in the enclosed part. Had them in the run just so it would be easier to catch them after cleaning their box.

Poor little thing. Were the others upset?