introducing new pullets to last years flock

[chicklet mom]

I would like to hatch some more chix. but my hubby doesnt want to to go thru all the fuss of building a separate coop for the new kids. Is there a way I can expand my flock and keep my marriage and my existing group happy? I have one rooster and 6 hens they are 1 year old this april and are doing great.

 

[Chick_in_Indiana]

I started my flock last summer too. Early this fall I came across an add in the pedlers post. This guy was now in a wheelchair and unable to take care of his chickens. He had 25 pullets that ranged from 1 to 6 years old. I took 1/2 and my friend took the others. I brought them home at night and put them in and they settled right in. No fussing from my others either. Go thru the papers, you can normally find a few here and there. If you order pullets it can be really expensive. Where do you live? Do you have any friends that start chicks, maybe they can raise them until you can put them w/ yours. Or you can wait until a hen goes broody and then put a few under her or let her hatch some of her own if you dont care what you get. She would take care of them then. Hope I helped, Krista

 

[ruth]

When I got a new batch of day old baby Buffs I put them in a Chick=n-Hutch in the run with the big girls. The big girls all came to say "hello" and to check out the babies.

For the first two weeks I let the babies out into the run while the big girls were out free ranging. I noticed that Ruth would always stay in the run and started to check out the chicks. Right away she just sort of adopted them and would not go out with the rest of the big girls each day and instead hung out with the babies and followed them around and kept them together.

Then I started leaving them out of their hutch when the big girls returned for lunch and evening feedings whileI stayed in run to supervise. The big girls never bothered the babies and the babies were really quick to learn to run and stay out of their way.

For about three weeks I was putting them back in their hutch each night but they got really smart and started running from me so that I could not catch them. So I started leaving hutch open so they could put themselves to bed and I would come out later and close hutch. One night I came out to close hutch and they weren't in there. I looked in coop and they were curled up on floor with Ruth. From then on they were treated just like the rest of the gang and allowed to free range the property and come and go as they pleased. At three weeks old they were officially "big girls".

Point of story is you don't have to build separate runs and coops. Try a short introductory period, supervise initial interactions and you never know, one of the adult hens might adopt them.

 

[Brian]

Ruth...I loved that story.
Brian

 

[chicklet mom]

:cdhi thanx for the input. The idea of letting my gals gradually aquaint themselves w/ the babes sounds reasonable.I do have a rooster tho. A white leghorn, and 2 hens are Barred rocks and 2 areRIR.Id love to hatch out some of my own eggs Wonder what I will get? All my hens lay good even in the winter and my rooster is kept busy. thanx for any more suggestions Chicklet mom:

 

[Tsagirl]

really really great Idea!!!!!
I get all my good ideas from all of you!!!!