Question about adding chicks to a flock???

[Ol Grey Mare]

So is that Brooder under a poop board? Am I going to owe you royalties as I copy this in the spring when I renovate one of my coops?

Yes, and no lol.

 

[flowerfaeiry]

I agree, brood in the coop, then you have no integration problems. I put newly hatched chicks out even in the winter, under a heat plate. They actually feather out faster than indoor brooded chicks and are much hardier birds. By 6-7 weeks they will wean themselves off heat and up onto the roost.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Chickens don’t know age they know SIZE.

 

[llombardo]

I have found that chickens are brutal. You would think that adding them and they are a few weeks apart in age it would work. It took mine about 5 months and the older ones still make it a point to let them know they are the boss.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I have found that chickens are brutal. You would think that adding them and they are a few weeks apart in age it would work. It took mine about 5 months and the older ones still make it a point to let them know they are the boss.

Chickens arent brutal, you just have to understand how their social structure works, work with it and not anthropomorphize them/their actions which generally leads to well-intentioned but very misguided "help"(interference) by the keeper which only worsens the situation rather than bettering it (not directed *at* you, just thoughts sparked by your post.....hope that makes sense)

 

[aart]

Chickens arent brutal, you just have to understand how their social structure works, work with it and not anthropomorphize them/their actions which generally leads to well-intentioned but very misguided "help"(interference) by the keeper which only worsens the situation rather than bettering it (not directed *at* you, just thoughts sparked by your post.....hope that makes sense)

 

[Shorty22366]

I put my chicks in a cage in coop so all the chickens can see them. I eventually open door and let them start mingling with the flock. If I have a broody hen I put the chicks under them and let her handle introducing them. Don't just throw them together the older chickens will kill the babies.

 

[Mach 1 Padilla]

This is how I go about it.
1. Make sure they are old enough to get away from older pecking hens
2. They have enough space to get away and not get cornered
3. Introduce in a group say 4-5 at a time at the least, the more the better

never tried brooding In the coop but im sure that will help too.

 

[cmom]

Everyone has given you good advise. There will always be a new pecking order to establish when you put new birds in with an established flock.

 

[16Chickens Keeper]

My neighbor had ordered some chicks but didn't have a coop, and we did. What we did we put the three of them in a med. sized dog cage until they were big enough size. After that we let them grazed together in there run and that was it.