Mixing the Ages/Flocks??? Advice Please...

[Eggreed]

Mixing the Ages/Flocks??? Advice Please...A Friend who is getting out of it... complaining about feed cost... ( I told him I d take a few he could come visit ) gave me 3 Hens all older than my flock of 12 chicks & roos which are just now getting into their coop.... right now I ve got the 3 separated from the 12 by a fence 3 under an awning on wood 12 on grass in a fence d area with the coop ??? let em all rip... or keep em separate for a spell????

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

How old are your chickens?

 

[Eggreed]

i didnt say it but my 12 are all young ... not laying yet.... I bought them in early April... & this was their first weekend out of the mud room in the coop run area...

 

[Eggreed]

mine are all less than 3 months I bought em in April... and am just now getting the coop closed in calked & roofed & Hardware clothed... its enclosed by Cyclone Panels as is the Older Dog Pen wich is a wood decking with cyclone... a gate separates them ....

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

i didnt say it but my 12 are all young ... not laying yet.... I bought them in early April... & this was their first weekend out of the mud room in the coop run area...

OK if they just got fully feathered they are probably about 6 weeks old. That is too young to be in with adults who aren't their parents and who are new to them.

The best time to integrate them is when they are about the same size as the adults...usually about 16 weeks of age. There is a risk of death and injury if integrated too soon. I would divide your coop if possible. Or you can keep them in a dog crate until then (or make a little coop/run for them).

Additionally it is good to quarantine new birds for a month anyway so a little separate coop is a good thing. You can even use a rabbit hutch if tall enough.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

If you keep the three new ones in a dog crate for awhile I would consider keeping them in the garage at night as it may not be predator proof.

 

[Eggreed]

Ok , TY , I will do a make shif tbox for the 3 in the dog run.... but is use while separated of the smae grass area ok???

 

[Eggreed]

Ok , TY , I will do a make shift box for the 3 in the dog run.... but is use of the grassy area surrounding the coop while the 12 are in the coop closed up in shifts ? or is a quara
ntine the rule?

 

[Eggreed]

I may have goofed already as all that separates the mis cyclone....

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Ok , TY , I will do a make shif tbox for the 3 in the dog run.... but is use while separated of the smae grass area ok???

Well in order to do a real quarantine they can't be on the same soil.

This is a personal thing but I just wanted to mention that quarantine is wise.