Introducing younger chicks to the flock

[garrettchickens]

I have an Americana rooster and 8 hens (1 Americana hen and the rest RIR). We hatched two chickens and they were about 10 weeks old when I tried mixing them with our flock. After a week, I went outside in the morning to find one of them dead . I took the other one back inside where we have 5 other chicks that are about 5 weeks old. I am pretty sure that the chick that died was a boy anyways... is that why they killed it?

I don't know if the other 10 week old is a rooster so I took pictures hoping someone could help.





four of the 5 week old look like this, and there is also one brown one but i cant get good pictures.

 

[kasie cochran]

I like to say pullet but I may be wrong

 

[kasie cochran]

You need to keep a close eye on integrating the chicks and should never leave them alone , and the one did not die because it was a rooster its was just simply because he was new

 

[Den in Penn]

Welcome to BYC.
At ten weeks it is unlikely that he was mature enough for rooster to care that it was a he. With one ten week old left I would hold it and put it with the 5 week olds when they are out of the brooder. Then introduce them all at the same time. If you can, do an slow introduction where they can see but not touch for a week before they can physically interact. Then give them plenty of space to run and places to hide.

 

[spies04]

When we have introduced our youngsters to the old ladies, we have made a separate pen in the chicken house. So, in the beginning, they could all see each other but didn't have full access. We left them like this for a few weeks which I believe helped them get along. When they were larger we took away the divider and have had no issue.

Good luck! The old ladies to this day are still the bosses and this group has been together for two years. But I don't think we will ever get away from that - I guess it is that old "pecking order" thing.