mixing breeds and ages?

[briggate]

Well, here we are with 4 Australorp chicks -thought they were all pullets but now it may be that a few are roos. A few more weeks will tell for sure.

So -we want more than 1 layer. Has anyone been successful with bringing in new chicks to the original group? We are planning on only keeping 1 rooster, and want to add a few Buff Orpingtons to the group, but have read so many stories about fighting between breeds and non-bonded chicks.

Will we need to have separate roosting/coop areas? Will they eventually get used to each other? We keep our original 4 in the coop only at night and they free range during the day on our 2 acres.

We were thinking that since we still have 6 weeks before our 1 potential pullet starts laying, that we would bring in some BO layers. Thoughts?

 

[tackyrama]

I have been introducing new chicks & chickens all summer with not one bit of problems and I have around 75 in the flock. If you can, partition off a section of your coop using chicken wire. Put the newbies in the partition for about a week so they can get used to seeing each other. When you finally let them together you will wonder what all the fuss & worry was all about. I don't know who told you that breeds need to be separated but it's wrong. Chickens are chickens and unless they are martian chickens will get along. I have a mixed flock (really mixed) and they all get along GREAT. Even the two week old chicks fit in without any probs. Two nights ago I couldn't find the mother hen & chicks. There they were on the top roost no less! I don't know how the little ones made it all the way up but they did and sitting right next to the king roo!

Roosters can be a problem but mostly with other roos they see as competition. My king roo is big and mean. He would have murdered his last competition if I hadn't stepped in. He is so totally gentle with all the others it's hard to believe. He just doesn't like any competition and once thats taken care of it's easy as we go.

Don't be turned off if your roo/roos seem mean. it's their nature to protect and guard the flock and you want them to do a good job. Just don't plan on keeping more than one or two depending on the size of your flock.

 

[Ridgerunner]

People successfully add chickens to their flocks all the time. This article is the best I have seen about doing that.

Buff Hooligan’s Adding to your flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

A flock of chicks will have a pecking order so every chicken knows its place. It is nature's way of getting groups of animals to live peacefully with each other. Establishing the pecking order can be pretty violent sometimes as I think it is also nature's way of eliminating weak animals from the flock in the wild. Herds of cattle and packs of wolves do the same thing. Buff's article will give you some ways to improve your odds of it not being too violent.

Good luck!

 

[newchicksnducks]

You can integrate. I agree with Tacky that if you could partition a section off your original coop to keep them separate but within view for a few weeks, you'd be better off. The article ridgerunner pointed out is also informative.
We have 3 EE that are now 15 weeks, 7 chicks that are 10 weeks ( BO, Austrolorp, Jersey Giant, Dominique),and 5 chicks that are 7 weeks (GLW and Speckled Sussex). All were started in the brooder in the house. The coop was ready when the EE were about 7 weeks and out they went. The next 7 went out a sectioned off area for about 2 weeks, then were let out with the EE while in the run. Pecking was at a minimal, the younger brood easily escaped to safer territory. And with the odds 7 to 3, they seemed to stick up for each other if the EE were a bit pushy. Yesterday I let the last 5 out of the sectioned off area. They've been in there for about 3 weeks. They have done well (kept outside in rain by older girls guarding the pop door during a surprise storm - but at 90*+, they did not catch any chill!) They needed assistance in finding their way inside last night, but tonight I found them all inside and cuddled under the dropping boards/roosts where the other 10 were roostinge

All my "batches" seem to integrate well. THe 15 and 10 week old will eat next to each other, but at roost time, I'll find my 3 EE huddled on the roost in a 1-2 foot section, then 4 foot empty roost, then my 7 girls huddled on another 3 foot section. Eventually I guess the 5 girls will have to either fill in between them or use the lower roost. While they don't seem antagonistic towards the different breeds, I often find the 2 buffs foraging next to each other, the Doms next to each other, 3 blk (austorlorp and jersey) together, then the 3 EE together. Maybe a bit racists towards each other (

) but all get along.

 

[briggate]

That's a relief! The person we got our chicks from told us not to mix ages or breeds - must just be her proclivity not to do so.

We have a small chicken tractor that houses our coop and we could pretty easily build out a temproary partition for the new girls. I think I'll give that a try.

So far, the ones I'm pretty sure are roos havent' been mean, just 'in your face' with the others - no bloodshed though. But it does sound like I'll need to have one of them removed- with only 6 total, I think 1 roo should be enough.

Right now we have only 3' of roosting space - do we need a lot more than that if we are going to have 6 chickens?

I'll take a look at that link, Ridgerunner. Thanks!