New Member--Maranatha Ranch

[Maranatha Ranch]

Hi everybody! I'm Diana and I'm happy to join your community! We've been working on raising a good flock for a couple of years now and WOW! It's a bit of a learning curve, huh? We had a flock last year and we bought a nice Brinsea incubator so we could keep it going. Well, everytime we tried to introduce the chicks back into the flock (whether as new chicks or as 8 week old chicks, the other chickens just killed 'em. =( So, new plan...

I just ordered 40 chicks from Mt. Healthy Hatchery in Ohio: 10 Rhode Island Reds, 10 Black Austrolorps, 10 Buff Brahmas, and 10 Ameraucanas. My thinking is, I should get some really good layers and some really good setters out of those breeds, so I should be able to keep the flocks going without losing them all to pecking order. Sound like a good idea? I have two good sized chicken coops, so I shouldn't have much trouble with overcrowding (plus some of those are going to be extra roosters).

I'd appreciate any suggestions, comments, advice, etc... =) I can't wait to meet everybody!!

 

[N F C]

Hi Diana, welcome to BYC!

Integration time can be stressful to the birds and us as well, I hate seeing them peck on each other.

The way we mixed our youngest with our oldest was by letting them spend about 2-3 weeks seeing each other without letting them touch. We put a temporary wire wall in one end of the coop and another in the run for the younger girls. That way they could check each other out and it gave the younger girls time to grow more before we took the wire walls down and let them mingle. It also helps to give the younger girls someplace to get away from the older birds when they are being harassed. There was still some pecking while they sorted out the pecking order, but it didn't last long and no one was seriously injured.

You've chosen a nice mix of egg layers and broodies. I hope it all goes well for you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Nice to have you join us!

 

[sunflour]

glad you decided to join us.

But so sorry about your past losses. I have friends who gave up on having their own flock when they tried placing new chicks with their one year old hens - a very sad lesson to learn.

NorthFlChick has given you the best advice to carefully integrate new chickens of any age to an established flock.

Good luck, enjoy the forums.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[drumstick diva]

The best way is the slow integration method - if you just throw them together, well you see what happens. I don't know where the term 'Chickens' meant cowards, came from. Chickens can be a blood thirsty group.!! If you seriously over crowd them in a coop/run they can turn cannibalistic.

 

[nj2wv]

Welcome to BYC. !!