Ordering new chicks & integrating

[AtRendeAcres]

I have been on a brooding kick since May! giving chickens for Birthdays presents to nieces, nephews & friends!

So I have had many different ages!

I did lots of different things!

What worked for me was just waiting till they were the same size!

 

[JenniferJoIN]

Sounds like a good plan... I just ordered 10 more from Ideal. (They'll be here next week) So it looks like I'll be integrating in a couple of months! Scary!

 

[jeaucamom]

AHHH Ignorance is bliss isn't it???? We started with 3 RIR and 3BR. One died after a few days and we added 5 (yes, not one but 5

). Then a week latter one of the new ones died and a few days later we added 2 more. Then two were roos and we took them back and got another one ( or was it two????) Anyway.... we had chicks straggling in for the first few weeks and all was well...... Until...... we went to the feed store and couldn't resist one more (just one, it couldn't really hurt could it???). It was an older chick about the same size as ours so I thought it would be okay. But poor Harmony... We almost renamed her Swanson cuz she was totally getting pecked and everytime she would just freeze, like a frozen chicken dinner. It was really sad. But then after a few days they left her alone and all is fine for her..


But..... the last three chicks we got were several weeks behind the older ones. They all started out together in the dog kennel and all loved one another. Then I moved the big girls outside and left the little ones in. They all got to be outside together during the day, but the little ones came in at night. When it was time to move them outside. The three just huddle together and stay away from the others. They are definitely the bottom of the pecking order and my favorite cochin is THE bottom. Makes me really sad. But that is chicken life I guess.... After a week, nothing has changed. Well....they don't fight......so I guess that is the way it is going to be.