Putting new chicks with the flock? ONE MORE Qs

[brooster]

My 3 babies are 12 weeks old. I want to put them with my 8 month olds. I have one old rooster and 4 hens and 2 baby pullets and 1 lil roo. I really need to put them together. What should be the steps i do to do this?

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

I think to slowly acclimate them or you can put them out there and supervise. See how they do

 

[brooster]

but then what you take them away and next time you put them together they fight again?

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

I had to do that with my barred rock boy and silkie roo. They kept fighting. Anyway you can seperate the pen for a couple weeks? Then take out the seperator?

 

[brooster]

Maybe i will try that. Any more suggestions or is that how everyone does it?

 

[SamG347]

I keep mine in the coop with the big girls...but in a cage so they can see and chatt but NOO rough housing. It seems to work pretty good for me just make sure when you finally let them out of the cage you stay to monitor it. Maybe give the big girls from scratch out in the yard and let the little ones romp around in the coop. I usually do this before the final let go. I close the coop door so all the big gals are out in the yard...and let the little ones get use to the coop. Then put them back in their cage. Usually do this every other day.
Good Luck let us know how it goes....also introductions seem to go way easier when birds are close to same size.

 

[silkiechicken]

I would also wait 4 more weeks before letting them have physical contact. In a small cage as introduction is fine now, but they need to be large enough to defend themselves, 4 weeks should do that. Good luck!

And oh, there will be fights, squabbles, and probably a few bloody combs. However, tough love, unless someone is really injured beyond a comb bleeding, do not intervene. I see lots of people feeling bad and taking hens out all the time and have a three month journey in integration. Once they are the same physical size and eat the same food, let them dual it out with places for the youngins to hide if necessary. Don't want the older ones to learn that beating on the chicks makes the big chicken *the human* take out the "intruders".

 

[crazychickens]

I have had to put a new young chickens in with the flock. I put the new chicken in the wire dog crate and let them get to know each other that way. They all got along good after that, untill it was time to sleep, then they push her off the high roost. She cuddled up by the young ones on the other roost that is 6 inches lower, but all was ok. I kept her in the crate for a week or so, I also put the crate by the water and feed, so they would have to walk by her alot.

Im new at this, and am still learning as I go.

 

[brooster]

Its 40 to 45 degrees in the coop, yhey are in the base ment now is it ok?