New Chicks

[ChickenMom16]

I have 5 hens and a rooster.
All of them are Road Island Reds.

A month ago I hatched 3 new chickens. 2 hens and 1 baby rooster. I have kept them apart since they have hatched and I was wondering if I should put them with the older chickens or if its to early to put them all together?

Also I was wondering if I would have problems with having two rosters at the same time even though one of them is still small? When the baby rooster got older would I have problems then?

 

[Colonel-Sanders]

Hi, (speaking about the hens) normally, chickens should be kept separately until they are of similar size so that each can defend themselves if necessary, the last thing anyone wants is a dead chook.

I personally don't have any experience with roosters, but I would assume that the same philosophy applies of waiting until they are similar in size (if you're supposed to have 2 roosters together at all).

 

[ChickenMom16]

Hello, that makes good sense I don't know why I didn't think of that.

I read somewhere you could have 2 roosters as long as you had about 7 to 8 hens. I'm not sure about that though. I don't want them to get into fights all the time and end up killing each other.

 

[lazy gardener]

I beg to differ. Many of us are finding that it is actually much easier to integrate new birds when they are still chicks, as they are not perceived to be a threat to the pecking order. I have tried it both ways, and have found that some where between 3 - 9 weeks is preferable to waiting till they are 12 weeks or older. While they will get schooled in how to treat their elders, the pecking order is no where as brutal as it can be when introducing them after they've got their "cluck" voice. And, if you want to introduce your cockrel, now is the time. Like all animals, they don't read the book and every set up and flock dynamic is different, so your mileage may vary. Supervise, and see how it goes. Having plenty of room in coop and run is crucial to success.

 

[aart]

Agrees that the 'same size' thing is kind of obsolete, but you have to do some setup to make it work.

Here's how I did it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old

The 2 males thing, you won't know until the cockerel becomes sexually mature.
It's more about how they get along than how many females.

FYI.....semantics, maybe, but can be important communication terms when discussing chicken behavior.
Female chickens are called pullets until one year of age, then they are called hens.
Male chickens are called cockerels until one year of age, then they are called cocks(or cockbirds or roosters).

 

[Mrs. K]

I am a believer in one way gates. Small enough openings that the chicks can move through it easily, and keep the bigger chickens out. Start the chicks out inside the safe place. Very quickly they will find this as a safe place, but they will want to explore outside of it. They will venture out and retreat as needed. The big birds can see them, hear them, and get used to them.

I just put mine out, using two lattice panels. Within days, they were around the flock. In less than a week, they were integrated. They are and will be a sub flock, within the flock until they begin to lay. I will set up a lower roosting bar for them probably today. The main thing is the big ones are not trying to kill them. They mostly ignore them.

Now I have a very large run, I have chickens that have had chicks with a broody before, and I have pallets, roosts, and hideouts all over the run. Those things make a difference too.

Mrs K

 

[yoopergirl1211]

We are introducing our 8 week olds the same way we did new hens right now. We did supervised free range with the big girls for the last week and now we have them in coop but my husband put a removable wall so they are separated. We'll probably do this for a week and then open a smaller opening so the little ones can visit but can get away and have separate food water. Then we should be good. We also put some brush in corner of run that the smaller ones can hide in. We did it this way to introduce some Bantam hens and a roo to our RIR rooster and hens. Went really well and it was our first time. Now our little frizzled rooster and our big guy share the dirt hole when they clean up lol. I thought it was like 8 hens to a roo but I could be wrong.