New chicks and new chicks?

[jenxsawyer]

I have 4 chicks that were born 6.21 so they are not even 4 weeks old yet. I wanted to grab 2 more from the same batch of 4 week old's are the hatchery and was wondering how that would work with integration. Would there be any issues at all? Also I was thinking about getting a 10 week old austrolorp and adding her in with the littles but was wondering if either or both of those would be an issue and what I should do

 

[pennyJo1960]

I have 4 chicks that were born 6.21 so they are not even 4 weeks old yet. I wanted to grab 2 more from the same batch of 4 week old's are the hatchery and was wondering how that would work with integration. Would there be any issues at all? Also I was thinking about getting a 10 week old austrolorp and adding her in with the littles but was wondering if either or both of those would be an issue and what I should do

Glad you stopped by and first let me say

you will be able to find
many to help. First let me say it is never advised to add just 1 chick at any time
always add by at least two. the other two would be able to go well see if you might
be able to acquire 2 austrolorp's pullets ?

 

[donrae]

At only 4 weeks they're not very invested in a social structure yet. I'd go ahead and add the same age birds at night and just let them do their thing. If you have enough space, things will be fine. There may be some squabbling, but it shouldn't be any big deal.

Once you have them all together, you could try putting the Aussie in. Since she's older, being a single bird shouldn't be an issue. And since she's a single bird, she shouldn't be too bossy to the littles. Again, plenty of space is the key to everyone being happy.

 

[jenxsawyer]

At only 4 weeks they're not very invested in a social structure yet. I'd go ahead and add the same age birds at night and just let them do their thing. If you have enough space, things will be fine. There may be some squabbling, but it shouldn't be any big deal.

Once you have them all together, you could try putting the Aussie in. Since she's older, being a single bird shouldn't be an issue. And since she's a single bird, she shouldn't be too bossy to the littles. Again, plenty of space is the key to everyone being happy.

I have a coop that claims to hold 12....which means I feel it would safely hold 8. lol But I also have a huge backyard they will free range in when they are bigger and I am not concerned about hawks. In the meantime I have a jumbo enclosure they walk around in and they free range when one of the kids or myself is outside to monitor which is often..so i THINK space wont be an issue..

So now I have until this weekend to talk my husband into it lol

 

[Mrs. K]

Beware of thinking that free ranging will compensate for too small of a coop. Measure the coop, don't guess.

In the summer you can cheat a bit, because the days are longer than the night, and if some birds don't go into the coop, but stay out in the run, it is ok due to pleasant weather.

However, winter is coming. Winter nights are much longer than the day. My own hens start roosting about 4:15 pm, and are not coming off the roost until 7:30 am. by late November. That is a lot of hours confined very close together due to a too small coop, the weather and the long night.

Then you will get ugly chicken behavior, very ugly behavior.

So you can cheat in the summer, but come fall, you have to cull to fit your coop. Too often, and most of us have been guilty of forgetting there is two sides to chicken math, adding and SUBTRACTING.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

I have a coop that claims to hold 12....which means I feel it would safely hold 8. lol But I also have a huge backyard they will free range in when they are bigger and I am not concerned about hawks. In the meantime I have a jumbo enclosure they walk around in and they free range when one of the kids or myself is outside to monitor which is often..so i THINK space wont be an issue..

So now I have until this weekend to talk my husband into it lol

Beware of thinking that free ranging will compensate for too small of a coop. Measure the coop, don't guess.

Mrs K

Yes, measure the coop (pics would help here too), don't guess.... especially don't guess based on the manufacturers population claims.

IME 3-4 week olds can have enough social structure and territoriality to cause problems adding birds.

 

[jenxsawyer]

Yes, measure the coop (pics would help here too), don't guess.... especially don't guess based on the manufacturers population claims.

IME 3-4 week olds can have enough social structure and territoriality to cause problems adding birds.

OK I will measure and you ladies tell me since you are very educated in all this <3 <3 So question...do I just measure the amount of inches long it is and wide it is and tall it is? Do i include the hatch box area?

Thanks !

BTW I think I decided to hold off on adding any until next Spring when I can add four more and have four big and four little and I am sure that will be a whole nother subject for me to research at that time lol