New Chick Questions

[love4holiness]

Hello, I'm a new chicken owner with 3 new chicks & have quesitons:

Currently, I have 3 Plymouth Rock adult hens, very docile (I've never seen them fight or bicker) and now have 3 new chicks (Buff Orpington, Americana, and Rhode Island Red) that are about 4-5 weeks old now & are indoors in our basement since we don't have a barn. I'm in Indiana, it's Spring now & nights can be cool, but days are warm.

I'm wondering a few things:

1. When can I move the chicks in with the adults?
2. HOW should I go about doing that to make it less stressful for all involved? (Including the hens & myself!)
3. My adult hens have to go up a little ladder to get into their coop at night & to lay eggs (they're in a large pen during the day with access to their coop anytime)... can I expect the new chicks to figure this "ladder" out & be able to go up & down since it's a larger style ladder made for adults?
4. When can I give my chicks the same feed as my other layers? If they need separate food for longer, do I keep that separate after I introduce the chicks to the adults? (If yes, how?)
5. Any other advice?

Thanks in advance,
Staci

 

[ibpboo]

My hens were couple, or three months old when I was able to place them with the older girls. I had often let them be outdoors so they could see the chicks, in a cage. When the chicks got a little older, I would let them free range while the big girls were free ranging. When I first added them to my chicken pen, the young ones would stay up on the shelves and roosts during the day to keep away from the bigger ones. Then at evening time, when the bigger ones jumped up to roost, they had to go to a lower area. After about a month, they were all living happily together.

The younger ones should be able to figure out the ladder thing, they are very good at flying up onto things etc.

Good luck

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

Quote:
1. When can I move the chicks in with the adults? When they are big enough I would say 3-4 months

2. HOW should I go about doing that to make it less stressful for all involved? (Including the hens & myself!)While you could always do as I have done I built a Grow out area just for my younger one's they will be in there until the olderone's get used to them being in their coop with them I also built an area in the run just for them as well I have a pop door split in two this way I control who is in the yard at what time.

3. My adult hens have to go up a little ladder to get into their coop at night & to lay eggs (they're in a large pen during the day with access to their coop anytime)... can I expect the new chicks to figure this "ladder" out & be able to go up & down since it's a larger style ladder made for adults? The younger one's will follow the adults although you may need to add rungs to the ladder I know I did but after they got used to it and started to jump from rung to rung I took the extas off it.

4. When can I give my chicks the same feed as my other layers? If they need separate food for longer, do I keep that separate after I introduce the chicks to the adults? (If yes, how?) You need to wait till younger one's start laying before giving them adult feed what you will need to do is build or find some sort of box that is made just big enough for the younins to get into but not the adults that way they will get their own food and the adults cant eat it .

5. Any other advice? Have fun and get a comfy chair to watch the Chicken TV.


Good luck any more questions always feel free to come here and ask.