Minnesota!

[ejb3810]

If the chicks are old enough that they don't need artificial heat I would think it ok to put them in the main coop in a sectioned off area. The adult birds would not normally spend a lot of time interacting with them if they can not easily get at them.
You would quite probably be wise to ensure they are not subject to drafty or damp conditions
Generally quarantine is to prevent your flock from some disease that new additions would possibly bring in, and once you are satisfied that the new birds do not have anything to be concerned with they are integrated into the flock.
If you have a separate brooder house/pen it is probably best to let them grow there for some time prior to the main coop move. A key issue here is the age of the chicks.

 

[Rhetts]

Thanks Ejb. They will need supplemental heat for a bit still. I will use the brooder house for now until they are older. I appreciate your thoughts!

 

[Minniechickmama]

I would like to add to what EJB said, summer isn't as much of a worry for draft as the other seasons. But before putting them out without heat, you want them to have feathers covering them. I gauge all that on the weather and temps too. My brooder house hasn't had heat for a few weeks now, but when it is closed, it actually gets TOO hot, I have to open up all the windows and door. In fact, I have to add a fan this Summer so I can get the hot air our better. Even with 5 windows open 24/7, it gets pretty hot in there. I am getting some CRX chicks in a couple of weeks and I may not even have to add any heat at all for those.

The other thing you may think about when you do move them out, is if you could make a section of the coop so that they can only get in and not the grown birds. The same idea as using a creep feeder, have access big enough for the little ones, but not the big birds.

Good luck!

 

[ejb3810]

What Minnie has written above is all good thoughts. I like the creep feeder concept, and for those that don't know what a creep feeder is I am sure you can find it on line.
Chickens are, in some cases, not terrible intelligent. So if you use the creep feeder concept watch to make sure the young ones figure out how to get back in the designated safe section.

 

[Mistahbue]

Lena is a great name! Overnight a nameless hen has become one of enough importance to get a name. I am glad you did not change Ole's name it would just confuse him.

So just an update. Mz Lena has now plopped out 2 eggs and I snuck a guinea egg in there with her (just laid - pushed it out in the middle of the yard like I reckon sunshine was gonna incubate it...I love my little dinosaurs but merciful heavens they are dumb as a box of rocks)

So since I've never had chickens I'm still door knob dumb - Sometimes when I go out to the coop area she's sitting on them. Sometimes she isn't. Is this the norm or do they sit for hours at a time? I know guinea eggs take a little longer to hatch, or am I confused (21/22 days vs 26/28 days?). I've written egging dates on a calendar so just wondered if these will hatch if she's up and down on them?

 

[duluthralphie]

So just an update. Mz Lena has now plopped out 2 eggs and I snuck a guinea egg in there with her (just laid - pushed it out in the middle of the yard like I reckon sunshine was gonna incubate it...I love my little dinosaurs but merciful heavens they are dumb as a box of rocks)

So since I've never had chickens I'm still door knob dumb - Sometimes when I go out to the coop area she's sitting on them. Sometimes she isn't. Is this the norm or do they sit for hours at a time? I know guinea eggs take a little longer to hatch, or am I confused (21/22 days vs 26/28 days?). I've written egging dates on a calendar so just wondered if these will hatch if she's up and down on them?

You might as well eat her eggs. they will not hatch under her.

She is not broody and was showing no signs of being broody here, Until she goes broody it is a waste of eggs to try and get her to hatch them. At the very least mark the eggs with the date laid so you know how old they are getting. Going broody is a whole lot of factors, most of which are chicken Voodoo to me. I know there is a certain number of eggs under her chest which will help set her off on broodiness, but so far I have not had an EE go broody on me. I have one that fakes it for a week or so but she continues to lay eggs. When they are broody they will not or should not lay eggs.

The date the egg is laid makes no difference to the date the egg hatches. It is 21 days from the date she starts incubating them. Which means she must be broody. I am sorry if I some how eft you with the impression just putting Ole and Lena in pen would make babies. Not that they won't, it is not just that simple.



Speaking of Broody hens, I have another BA that has gone broody. Do you think I can set her in the same "pen" as the one that should be hatching this coming weekend? It is a covered 8x8 pen, Or is that just asking for trouble?

 

[Mistahbue]

You might as well eat her eggs. they will not hatch under her.

She is not broody and was showing no signs of being broody here, Until she goes broody it is a waste of eggs to try and get her to hatch them. At the very least mark the eggs with the date laid so you know how old they are getting. Going broody is a whole lot of factors, most of which are chicken Voodoo to me. I know there is a certain number of eggs under her chest which will help set her off on broodiness, but so far I have not had an EE go broody on me. I have one that fakes it for a week or so but she continues to lay eggs. When they are broody they will not or should not lay eggs.

The date the egg is laid makes no difference to the date the egg hatches. It is 21 days from the date she starts incubating them. Which means she must be broody. I am sorry if I some how eft you with the impression just putting Ole and Lena in pen would make babies. Not that they won't, it is not just that simple.



Speaking of Broody hens, I have another BA that has gone broody. Do you think I can set her in the same "pen" as the one that should be hatching this coming weekend? It is a covered 8x8 pen, Or is that just asking for trouble?

Oh you didn't leave me with that impression! I just knew I'd get eggs and anything else would be icing. I just got excited when I saw her sitting on the first one - then the 2nd one. I've got a couple of old guinea eggs that I was using as enticement to get those goobers to sit - maybe that would trigger the broody voodoo - surround her with good egg juju?

How long you think I need to keep them penned up? Another week?

And I just learned a thing - about the egg date and incubation. I wasn't even thinking about this. I think I need to go find my raising chickens for dummies book.....


Totally not chicken related but want to toss it out there.
Asking for prayers, good thoughts, positive juju, swing a chicken by the leg - anything - fixing to have an interview for work in my field but it will be 100% working from home. After the scare with the goat last week (pneumonia) I took it as a 150% sign I NEED, I MUST be working from home rather than traveling to clients every week.

DR I'll let you know if she takes a notion to sit on them! Thanks!

 

[nordicacres]

Ugh, we lost two more Apple trees. They just snapped in half. One was already producing and the other was close. Now we are down to one productive tree . Dang storm. Hope you all fared better than we did.

 

[Cyrus83]

So one of my hens "Shelley" went missing today, I heard no commotion in the yard since I opened the run this morning, and have been home all day. I have been noticing less eggs in the nest boxes for a week or so and she is by far the roosters favorite gal. So I'm optimistic she's got a nest in the tall grass somewhere. Guess I better mark the calender eh?

 

[coldupnorth]

Ugh, we lost two more Apple trees. They just snapped in half. One was already producing and the other was close. Now we are down to one productive tree

. Dang storm. Hope you all fared better than we did.

I'm so sorry about your trees and garden. It is beyond frustrating to lose fruit producing trees when it takes so long to get them to production. The wind was mighty nasty here this morning, but we didn't have the straight line winds, just some gusts. I hope everything else was okay for you.