New to chickens

[briannaembrey]

Hi, I'm Brianna. I'm glad to be on here to learn more about chickens and how to raise mine.
We just got 4 chickens a couple months ago. They're about 3 months old. We got 2 older chickens a few days ago. We have a coop, fence, pretty much everything needed. Were just not exactly sure what to do with them. They baby and the old one were fighting yesterday.

 

[CityFarmer202]

Welcome to BYC!!!! Are they both roosters?? That could be the cause of the fighting. Good luck with your chickens!

 

[briannaembrey]

Thank you. The old one is a hen. We aren't sure what the new one is. We think its a rooster, but I'm not sure how to tell. They haven't grown their spurs. Is there any other way to tell if they are chickens or roosters?

 

[briannaembrey]

I mean, the new ones are about 1 1/2 and the old ones are the babies which are about 3 months old

 

[CityFarmer202]

your welcome the comb and wattle and tail are also ways to tell, though its not always fool proof...do you have any pics??

 

[briannaembrey]

Yeah. I'm not exactly sure how to put pictures of them on here or how to send them. lol.

 

[CityFarmer202]

lol in the reply area, there are all the options and their is a little button that has a mountain and sun and scroll over it and it says insert image, click it and you can upload images from your computer

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! With integrating the new chickens, it is usually best to wait until they are about the same size, then a long period of seeing but no touching through wire seem to work best, ie dividing the coop into two sections or keeping the younger ones in a cage inside the coup for a couple of weeks to a month at least. The chickens will get to know each other and sort of work out a pecking order before actually coming in contact with each other. If you have a place you let them free range/ out that is not in the coop/run, in a few weeks you can start leaving them together there for awhile while you are supervising. It will take quite a while. There is a nice article in the Learning Center on integrating flocks you might like to check out, the part about actually combining them is after the quarantine section https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[okcflygirl]

New chicken person, too. Anyone live in the Oklahoma City area that knows where to take young roosters? We bought six chicks not knowing sexes. They are now seven weeks old. We can't keep the three that are definitely cockerels (crowing!) They are Easter Eggers.

 

[okcflygirl]