Raising chicks over the winter months any advise?

[aart]

We live in Boyd’s maryland about 30 miles north of Washington DC . We are having a very warm fall. We will get snow this winter. We do not want to put them in the barn with the rest of the flock. I have heard they will eat baby chicks .

Welcome to BYC!!
Best to get them with the flock sooner rather than later, mama will integrate then and keep them warm.

 

[Rugerman]

I agree that the heat lamp is entirely not necessary. Mama will do fine. How big are your coop, and your run? How many birds in your flock? Most broody hens do an admirable job protecting the chicks from being harassed by the rest of the flock. (Unless Mama is a wimpy low on pecking order kind of gal) If your coop/run are big enough, and have enough room so that Mama and babies can mingle with the rest of the flock, that will make integration of the chicks a non issue. However, the biggest issue with new chicks is that if Mama takes them down out of the coop, they may not be able to negotiate the ramp (assuming that's your set up) until they are a week or so old.

W

once my broodies take the chicks out of the box I let her decide where to take them.. They always end up with the flock in the coop.. mama's protection instinct is highest the first 2 weeks.. I had one hen try to peck a chick too hard and mama set her straight.. the roos and turkeys have been find with the chicks.

 

[Rugerman]

Chicken yard is a total of a 1/3 of an acre. With a big chicken house in the middle 12x12 feet and one small house 4X4 where she is in now with the babies. We have 5 roasters 35 hens and now 14 chicks! The feed is different for Laying Hens it has calcium in it. And that is not good foe the baby chicks. Not sure how I would keep them from eating it ?
We have always kept the baby chicks separate till 16 weeks when they were done with baby feed them moved them over at night. They all wake up together fine no fussing or fighting.

 

[Molpet]

Chicken yard is a total of a 1/3 of an acre. With a big chicken house in the middle 12x12 feet and one small house 4X4 where she is in now with the babies. We have 5 roasters 35 hens and now 14 chicks! The feed is different for Laying Hens it has calcium in it. And that is not good foe the baby chicks. Not sure how I would keep them from eating it ?
We have always kept the baby chicks separate till 16 weeks when they were done with baby feed them moved them over at night. They all wake up together fine no fussing or fighting.

I used to try and feed them separate types of feed.. when the chicks get so big they jump on the hanging feeders of layer..Some people don't worry about the chicks getting too much calcium.
I feed starter or grower to everyone... I have oyster shells on the side ..I seem to have chicks all the time... I have better hatch rates when the layers are eating grower.. layer is the minimum protein the little layer breeds need.. heritage breeds seem to need more protein.