Michigan

[Opa]

I got some good info on Maple tree tapping, but nobody replied to my question last night about mixing chicks, so I will repost:
I have been trying to follow the conversations about mixing chickens, biosecurity, etc, but since I am such a newbie, I'm not sure about this.

Could I get some chicks from TSC, and a month or six weeks later mix hatchery chicks in with the TSC chicks? I ask, because I'd like some Australorps which I hear TSC might have. I could cross that breed off my "wish list" and get the other chicks in the middle of April from a hatchery. If I wait until all of the 3-5 breeds I have decided on are available, it will be May or June, and that is just too long to wait and my schedule is just too unpredictable that far out. How old is too old to mix chicks together (for a newly started coop)? Any thoughts? Thanks.

Sorry that I missed you question the first time around. While some claim to mix bird of disparate ages I have found that to be a invitation to disaster. I would strongly advise not mixing birds of more than a weeks difference in age.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

If you could put a divider up in the coop that helps. I have done that in my old coop. They can see each other but not get to each other. Also, I have some BA's and an incubator. hint, hint, nudge, nudge

 

[b737drvr]

Sorry that I missed you question the first time around. While some claim to mix bird of disparate ages I have found that to be a invitation to disaster. I would strongly advise not mixing birds of more than a weeks difference in age.

Thanks Opa. I was rambling about the Maple syrup so much it was probably easy to overlook my chicken question.

If you could put a divider up in the coop that helps. I have done that in my old coop. They can see each other but not get to each other. Also, I have some BA's and an incubator. hint, hint, nudge, nudge

I thought about a divider, however, I am just not sure how that is going to work w/ the way I have the coop planned out so far. How old/big do the chicks need to be to go out of the brooder and into the coop?
PS..I would love to try incubating some BA's, but I know Newaygo is a longwaytogo from Milan!

 

[NovaAman]

use chicken wire and staples... section them to areas of the coop... I did that when I got my dottes. They were put on one side and the others were on the other. This was before I had ever heard of such a thing as "QUARANTINE". Well, anyway, I just used some chicken wire/poulty net and seperated them that way till they got used to each other. My silkies were evil little chicks at the time. They'd pick on those poor Dottes... And then one day, the dottes pooped bigger poops than the silkie were!


LOL


I got to meet Juise today. Her little girls are just so cute. We are going to be in-laws now, because my oldest son said that my youngest son was going to marry her oldest daughter. LOL. Was a very enjoyable few hours.

I am going to try and take a picture of Mr. Fluffers legs. His feet look like they are peeling.. Like when I get dry skin and it cracks on my elbows. Well anyway, I am going to get a pic tomorrow, and show ya'll, just to make sure its what I think and not something bad, and then what to put on them, or should I leave them... I am guessing its from the snow, but I just want to be certain. I'd hate to not ask and then have it turn out to be the beginning of leg mites... Could they get leg mites this time of year?

Well, anyway. I think you're right CG, I think it was Jugglers...

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Thanks Opa. I was rambling about the Maple syrup so much it was probably easy to overlook my chicken question.

I thought about a divider, however, I am just not sure how that is going to work w/ the way I have the coop planned out so far. How old/big do the chicks need to be to go out of the brooder and into the coop?
PS..I would love to try incubating some BA's, but I know Newaygo is a longwaytogo from Milan!

The way I had my coop set up, I had a smaller room in the coop that was to be used for chicks. As long as they have access to the heat lamp easily they should be fine. The brooder area is now occupied by my NH's.
I could always meet you at chickenstock with eggs or chicks.

 

[DaughterOfEve]

When it is still cold out you will need to wait until your birds have all their feathers before moving them out into the coop form the brooder. What is that 6 - 7 weeks? Okay now I have to use my long term memory. NOT GOOD, NOT GOOD!


I have a dilema of my own. HAVE ANY OF YOU SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS?



He is a Nankin bantam roo with this growth on the under side of one wing that developed last August after a blood draw for a show. It has grown from what I thought was just a blood blister the size of a teenagers pimple to this thing almost a 1/4" across. He is my DD pride and joy showmanship bird for 4H and she is freaking out. It does not seem to bother him, does not look irritated around the surrounding skin and he is healthy as a horse and TOP roo in the barnyard with four others (two are standard size).

Great chick picks mom by the way!

 

[M.sue]

DaughterOfEve....is there fluid in the middle section?

 

[RaZ]

I got some good info on Maple tree tapping, but nobody replied to my question last night about mixing chicks, so I will repost:
I have been trying to follow the conversations about mixing chickens, biosecurity, etc, but since I am such a newbie, I'm not sure about this.

Could I get some chicks from TSC, and a month or six weeks later mix hatchery chicks in with the TSC chicks? I ask, because I'd like some Australorps which I hear TSC might have. I could cross that breed off my "wish list" and get the other chicks in the middle of April from a hatchery. If I wait until all of the 3-5 breeds I have decided on are available, it will be May or June, and that is just too long to wait and my schedule is just too unpredictable that far out. How old is too old to mix chicks together (for a newly started coop)? Any thoughts? Thanks.

I was hoping to see a response as well.
I'll go out on a limb with my limited experience. I had 3 Black sex link hens and 2 Buff Orpingtons in the fall. I added 2 bantam lavender Americunas to the flock. Over the winter I lost one of each but was able to add a pair of naked necks (the Uggos) in January. So right now I have 2 BSL, 1 BO, and 1 BLA as adult laying birds and the 2 Uggos as juveniles in the outdoor coop. The flock works together with no negative issues, I get eggs from the mature hens and I've observed that the birds are roosting on the same level but at opposite ends of the roosting board.

Now I have these new chicks that will have to join the others once they get old (big) enough to be introduced. That will introduce another pair of BSLs, 3 ISA Browns and 3 Silver Laced Wyandottes. So that means at least 6 different breeds that are going to have to get along with each other. Ideally, I would like another BLA and BO for balance but I don't really see that happening. From some of what I've read, it is good to have at least a pair of each breed so they have a familiar bird to relate to.

However, I think that there are a few people here who have mixed flocks and things have worked out well. It seems to be working for me, so I would say go ahead and try the mixes. Even with the age differences. Just beware of the bio-security concerns regarding diseases.

Also note that my experience only applies to me and my flock. Ultimately, you have to decide for yourself what might work for you as well as considering how what you do might have an influence on other folk.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

DaughterofEve, I have never seen anything like that. Yikes!


Just to give you an idea, here is what was supposed to be the brooder area of my coop.

 

[DaughterOfEve]

DaughterOfEve....is there fluid in the middle section?

Yeah more fluid like. Not hard like a wart.