Possible Dumb Question !!

[gottalovemychickens]

When can you take chicks at what age , and have them live with the already grown up chickens ??? I dont want fighting going on and i was wondering if this is safe. Will the baby chicks follow in the footsteps of the adults ? Will they be picked on ?

 

[horsejody]

You should not integrate them until they are similar in size to the older chickens. Otherwise, they will be pecked and possibly killed.

 

[reesepoultry]

I always put mine together with the others at 4 weeks old. It just depends on how they act around them. Night time is always better to introduce them. If they start picking on them too bad I seperate them. I think it just depends on the breed of the chickens too. You can also retry to introduce them again in a couple days.

 

[zylechicks]

We integrate the old with the new chicks by putting them into a small cooplike area that is adjacent to the coop. They don't have a ton of room but they do have an enclosed area where they can roost at night within the space. This way, they live next to the older ones for a while. We have found that if they coexist for a while, we can eventually allow the younger ones to wander into the coop without much reaction from the older hens. We do keep an eye on them to watch for attacks but so far, allowing them to get used to one another seems to make it easier for everyone.