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FirstTimeFlock

FirstTimeFlock

In the Brooder
Feb 2, 2017
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Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
Hi! I've just ordered my first chickens. I will receive them in April when they are 4 weeks old. I ordered 1 Easter Egger Americana, 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes, & 2 Speckled Sussexes. After ordering them, I took another look at when they will start laying & it looks like the earliest I can expect eggs will be some time between July & Sept. I then saw some cross breeds advertised on the local classifieds. They are 5 week old chicks that are from a Swedish Flower rooster & a Rhode Island Red hen. I was considering getting 2 of them to start me off while I wait for the others. From what I've read, they could be ready to start laying in May.
I have a couple of questions... 1) Will the Easter Egger get picked on because it is the only one of its kind? (I could ask to increase my order to 2 of them.) 2) What will I need to do to introduce the younger chicks (the ones I will get in April) to the older pair of cross-bred chickens? 3) Do I need a lamp or heater? We are still getting frost in the mornings & I've heard that we may get snow in the next week. It temperatures usually don't dip much below zero but they can go as low as minus 10.
Thanks for taking the time to read this! Looking forward to learning more as we go!
 
1. The one EE should be fine. I do find that some breeds prefer to hang with their own, but that is the exception. I have many breeds in my flock and for most of them only have one of each.

2. It is prudent to quarantine the new chicks for at least 30 days. Then you will want to have a way for them to see each other but not be able to get to each other for a few days, in case the big girls want to be snippy.

3. I would find out how they are already being reared and go off of that. If they are not on heat, don't put them on it, and if they are, try to wean them off as soon as possible. Since they are five weeks a huddle box should suffice, depending on the size of your coop. If it is very large or has thin or drafty walls they will be colder. Obviously a smaller coop will be cozier but you still want them to have adequate room. Can you describe your coop and run setup?
 
Greetings and
welcome-byc.gif
! Great to have you aboard! You asked a lot of great questions. I'll answer as best I can. Chicks generally need some form of heat in cool or cold weather until fully feathered - about 5 weeks. If they are going straight out to an outdoor coop and it's still cold at night, you might consider a heat lamp. If you are housing them inside for a bit, not heat is necessary. In fact, with a cozy coop - not drafty - they are likely fine even at 4 weeks without heat - provided the temps are not bone chilling cold.
Introducing the chicks to the more grown up birds: I like to keep my chickens away from the larger birds for a period of time before letting them mingle - for me this is about two months til the littles get a some size on them. Others may do it differently. Then when it comes to integration time, here's a link to a great article about how to do that: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-see-but-don-t-touch-method
The Easter Egger question...if it was raised with the others it should not be a problem as, while it is different, it isn't new. There will be a natural pecking order that develops and the EE may (or may not) be at the bottom. But the bottom doesn't necessarily mean it will be picked on.
Hope I answered some of your questions. You might also stop by the Learning Center in the link below and peruse some of the great articles it contains - it will answer a lot of questions you have now and in the future. Best wishes and thanks for joining us!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center
 
G’Day from down under FirstTimeFlock
frow.gif
Welcome!

As you have already received some good advice and links, I will just send best wishes to you and your flock when they arrive.

I hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun. Unlike non chicken loving friends, family and colleagues, BYC’ers never tire of stories or pictures that feature our feathered and non feathered friends
wink.png
 
SunHwaKwon said:
1. The one EE should be fine. I do find that some breeds prefer to hang with their own, but that is the exception. I have many breeds in my flock and for most of them only have one of each.

2. It is prudent to quarantine the new chicks for at least 30 days. Then you will want to have a way for them to see each other but not be able to get to each other for a few days, in case the big girls want to be snippy. 

3. I would find out how they are already being reared and go off of that. If they are not on heat, don't put them on it, and if they are, try to wean them off as soon as possible. Since they are five weeks a huddle box should suffice, depending on the size of your coop. If it is very large or has thin or drafty walls they will be colder. Obviously a smaller coop will be cozier but you still want them to have adequate room. Can you describe your coop and run setup?
Click to expand...


We are using coops that were in use just prior to us moving in (actually, they were occupied until the day after we moved in). One of them is a portable coop with attached run. It was housing 4 Barred Rock chickens - 3 hens & 1 rooster. (I'm not sure if we get to use that one or if the owners are coming back for it.) The other is a permanent structure. I will try to go take pics of it later. It looks like a shack that was divided in half across & the one half is storage/maneuver area & the other half houses 2 divided areas for roosts. (They had chickens on one side & ducks in the other side.) Both sides of the coop have attached runs. Sorry, my description isn't the best. Will try to provide a better one to go with pics.
 
redsoxs said:
Greetings and :welcome !  Great to have you aboard!  You asked a lot of great questions.  I'll answer as best I can.  Chicks generally need some form of heat in cool or cold weather until fully feathered - about 5 weeks.  If they are going straight out to an outdoor coop and it's still cold at night, you might consider a heat lamp.  If you are housing them inside for a bit, not heat is necessary.  In fact, with a cozy coop - not drafty - they are likely fine even at 4 weeks without heat - provided the temps are not bone chilling cold.  
Introducing the chicks to the more grown up birds:  I like to keep my chickens away from the larger birds for a period of time before letting them mingle - for me this is about two months til the littles get a some size on them.  Others may do it differently.  Then when it comes to integration time, here's a link to a great article about how to do that:  https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-see-but-don-t-touch-method
The Easter Egger question...if it was raised with the others it should not be a problem as, while it is different, it isn't new.  There will be a natural pecking order that develops and the EE may (or may not) be at the bottom.  But the bottom doesn't necessarily mean it will be picked on. 
Hope I answered some of your questions.  You might also stop by the Learning Center in the link below and peruse some of the great articles it contains - it will answer a lot of questions you have now and in the future.  Best wishes and thanks for joining us!  
https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center
Click to expand...


Thanks for the great info & resources!
 
welcome-byc.gif


You've already received some great advice and links to check out so I'll just say hello and thanks for joining us!
 

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