OUt of the brooder!

[Chickenhuntin]

Good thing after two fatalities, 5 survived. They dig their coop. I think I may free range them tomorrow but I am worried that they won't be adjusted to the coop yet and won't know where home is. I was thinking let them out for a couple hours this weekend and then lock them up durring the week. I have room for three more. I want to find some just out of the brooder pullets.

 

[ranchhand]

Hello -

They need several days if not a week or more, before they consider the coop home.

Introducing pullets to chicks? Uhm, bad idea.

First: All new chickens need at least a 30 day quarantine, unless you want to play fast and loose with silent diseases coming in.

Second: How old are these chicks? Health issues aside, you can't just toss strange chickens of different ages in together and expect them to survive or even get along.

As with ALL livestock, changes need to be made carefully and slowly.

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
Well said!

Do a search on quarantine and integrating chicks before you feed your chicken addiction.

 

[jossanne]

If they're all still quite young when you are ready to introduce them, it won't be too hard.

No matter what, there will be a bit of a pecking order issue, but if you do it right it should be fairly easy. I put the new chickens in a wire cage in with the already-established chickens. That way they can get to know each other through the wire cage without doing any damage. Once the newness has worn off and they're familiar, I start letting them out for a little while at a time while I can be out with them to supervise. After a few times of supervised play, they are soon ready to live together and work out relationships and pecking order.

Please do be sure to quarantine, though. I've heard of people losing entire flocks by unknowingly bringing in one sick bird. Odds are that the new chickens are healthy and there won't be a problem, but it would be awful to take that chance and have major health problems introduced.

 

[Chickenhuntin]

I was looking for something that doesn't have to be brooded but I could keep them seperated for a month. But I wanted to get around the same age. They are roughly all 6 weeks old. Still chicks but fully feathered. They been in their coop since thursday. So I should wait a week to let them out to free range huh? I haven't ever let them out yet since I was brooding them. I had one with a wheezing problem that died and two that got trampled because they were over two weeks apart. So if I plan on adding more to the flock, How long do I wait? next spring? I originally wanted 8 but ended up with 5.lol