Mixing young pullets with grown hens

[Mark Armstrong]

I"m receiving an order of 8 pullets and one male tomorrow from Ideal poultry, want to try and get ahead and have them laying by early summer, what issues might I expect to run into trying to integrate them together, I can only keep them separate for so long, Thanks

 

[ChickenCanoe]

How old will they be?

 

[Mark Armstrong]

How old will they be?

They will be just a few days old when I get them, going to keep them in the house as long as possible, I'm going to put them in a wash tub to start with and move them into a large dog kennel once they don't need to be under a light, maybe at three months try to integrate them into the flock

 

[lazy gardener]

My recommendation is to integrate them much sooner, as long as you have adequate coop and run space. Many of us have found that it's much easier to integrate youngsters long before they "get their cluck". At young ages they are not perceived to be a threat to the pecking order. Of course you will have to harden them off to outside temps. You can accomplish this easily by brooding them in your garage. @azygous is the queen of early integration with a panic room.

 

[Chickassan]

I personally would go with as soon as they're feathered and you have the space. Set up a little pen the chicks can get in but not the big girls "lattice is awesome for this" and you're good. There will be a little chasing and pecking but it is sooo much easier to integrate peeping children rather than squawking teens.

 

[Mrs. K]

I integrated at 3 weeks using a lattice pen and a wooly hen. The lattice they could run through like water, at first they stayed close to it, but in a week they were out with the big girls and I took it apart.

However, I have added chicks to my flock many times. Maybe they are more tolerant.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

I"m receiving an order of 8 pullets and one male tomorrow from Ideal poultry, want to try and get ahead and have them laying by early summer, what issues might I expect to run into trying to integrate them together, I can only keep them separate for so long, Thanks

Your location is of utmost importance here, please put it in your profile.

Knowing more about:
your flock size(numbers, ages, genders),
your coop(size in feet by feet with pics),
would also help immensely.

If you have power to your coop, I would suggest brooding/integrating younger.
Here's how I do it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[lomine]

I brood my chicks right in the coop using something like the mama heating pad method. For the first weeks they are completely separated with no way to mingle but everyone can see each other. After a few weeks I make a little opening that the chicks can fit through during the day; they are still cut off at night. By week 5 or 6 they are integrated and the all the chickens can mingle freely. The heating pads are left until the chicks are fully feathered and then I slowly lower the temps to wean them off. I did have an issue with one slightly older cockerel that was chasing chicks but it was just one naughty boy who got an early ticket to freezer camp. Generally the worst the chicks get is a good peck on the head. I think it helps that all my breeds are known to be mellow.

I like this method because you get a faster and less stressful integration. Plus you don't get the smell or all that chicken 'dust' in the house. Of course it only works if you have electric in the coop.

 

[Mark Armstrong]

Got my chicks in at the post office this morning, my granddaughter took each one individually and showed them the feed and water, one of the little golden link pullets wasn't doing well and didn't last long, guess she got to cold, the rest of them are having a big time, now to watch them grow

 

[Mark Cavalli]

Got my chicks in at the post office this morning, my granddaughter took each one individually and showed them the feed and water, one of the little golden link pullets wasn't doing well and didn't last long, guess she got to cold, the rest of them are having a big time, now to watch them grow

Got my chicks in at the post office this morning, my granddaughter took each one individually and showed them the feed and water, one of the little golden link pullets wasn't doing well and didn't last long, guess she got to cold, the rest of them are having a big time, now to watch them grow

I received two new hinge and I was wondering is there a way to tell their age I was told they were one year to a year and a half old but I'm not sure I've had them five days.