raising diff breeds of chicks together in one area?

[lazy gardener]

I am one of those crazy people who wants 2 of a couple different breeds ..... Is it ok to keep chicks I order in one area (indoors) until they are old enough to be in the coop (out doors)?

I am thinking about getting 2 silkies, 2 olive eggers, 2 easter eggers.. Small flock, all hens (hopefully). If I get any roosters, they will be dinner (sorry if that sounds mean, but roosters are not legal in my area).

If they are different ages is that ok? Should I quarantine each set of chicks first before introduction?

They will likely be all from the same local breeder.

Is it better to start off with eggs and hatch myself? or order week old chicks? I am totally new to all this, I doubt I'd be very successful hatching eggs as a newbie... It is also important to be that the hens all be kid friendly. So they will be handled asap.

At what age can chicks go outside in the coop safely? I will be starting my flock in Spring 2017. temp outside will typically be between 15-20ish degrees Celsius in the Spring.

I strongly recommend that you get your coop built before you get your chicks. Then you can brood them right outdoors in the coop. Chicks produce an incredible amount of dander. Imagine taking a spray bottle of oil on it's finest setting. Spray liberally around your house. be sure to hit every surface. Now, take a bag of flour and toss that around liberally. That's what chicks are capable of doing to your house. DAILY. Now, consider the high allergy potential. Add the stink of the daily cecal poops, and you can see why many of us only brooded chicks once in our homes. After the first time. I swore NEVER AGAIN. Thankfully, it is very safe and effective, (better for the chicks also) to brood them right outdoors in your coop. You can start them in the coop immediately, as soon as you bring them home. Check out this article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors

Mixed flocks are wonderful. I've never had a silkie, so don't know how well they blend in with a flock of LF birds. I strongly suggest that you get all of your birds from the same place and at the same age and at the same time. Mixing and matching from different sources and different ages brings a whole set of issues that are difficult for a newbie to manage. Not to mention biosecurity issues. Sounds like you will be getting straight run. If you want to end up with 6 pullets, better get 12 chicks and have an exit plan in place for the roos. Hatching your own eggs, even for a first timer is not an unreasonable plan. But, it takes dedication, and there is a learning curve. If you choose to go this route, I recommend that you have a mentor to help you along. I started my first flock (this time around) with chicks hatched in a home made incubator. I hatched 5/6 eggs from a local flock, and added 3 EE to them from a local feed store. You might even consider going the incubator route and getting some local mutt eggs. Re: the silkies: your kids will be in love with what ever birds you end up with. Do you want small eggs? Do you want birds that are broody VERY often? Broody hens don't lay eggs, but they are often cranky and keep the nest box tied up for weeks at a time, unless you have a broody breaker pen.

How big a coop? MINIMUM recommendation is 4 s.f. in the coop and 10 s.f. in the run per bird. Any less than that, and you invite issues with aggression, feather picking, disease. If you intend to occasionally add to your flock so that you are not running a nursing home for geriatric hens 3 years from now, you might want to build with that in consideration. If you intend to ever let a broody hen set on eggs, again, you'll need more room.

Coop safety: Chicken wire will only keep birds in, will not keep predators out. Build with that thought in mind. Lots of ventilation is a MUST, no matter what climate you live in.

Kudos to you for thinking this through, and doing some planning before bringing home some fuzz butts!

 

[Blooie]

In my current flock I have 2 Blue Andelusians, 2 White Cochins, a Cuckoo Marans, 7 Easter Eggers, a light Brahma, 2 Wellsummers, 2 Ohio Buckeyes, a Red Sex Link, a white Orpington, and 6 Silkies. Never a problem one. I've maintained a mixed flock (far more varieties than I have currently) since my first year with chickens and have always raised them from chicks and housed them together. My flock always consists of mixed ages as well - chicks and chickens housed comfortably together - because I raise my chicks outdoors within sight of my older birds from the start.

With all due respect to those who discuss the 95 degrees the first week, etc., I don't worry about that either. I have chicks out in a wire pen in the run even here when our springtime temps struggle to reach 20 degrees and snow is still flying, and I do it under a heating pad cave within their pen. So they are exposed to the same pathogens and fungi that are found in the coop and run they'll be living in as adults and integration is a breeze. They regulate their own comfort very well, ducking under Mama Heating Pad for a quick warm-up, if they get spooked, or once the sun starts going down. Exposure to cooler temperatures does a couple of things in my opinion - they feather out faster and they also acclimate very quickly to the climate they'll be living in. I live in Northwestern Wyoming, not too far from Yellowstone Park so my birds have to be ready for anything weather-wise.

Welcome to BYC....it's very nice to have you with us!

 

[Padleia]

  I strongly recommend that you get your coop built before you get your chicks.  Then you can brood them right outdoors in the coop.  Chicks produce an incredible amount of dander.  Imagine taking a spray bottle of oil on it's finest setting.  Spray liberally around your house.  be sure to hit every surface.  Now, take a bag of flour and toss that around liberally.  That's what chicks are capable of doing to your house.  DAILY.  Now, consider the high allergy potential.  Add the stink of the daily cecal poops, and you can see why many of us only brooded chicks once in our homes.  After the first time. I swore NEVER AGAIN.  Thankfully, it is very safe and effective, (better for the chicks also) to brood them right outdoors in your coop.  You can start them in the coop immediately, as soon as you bring them home.  Check out this article:  https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors

Mixed flocks are wonderful.  I've never had a silkie, so don't know how well they blend in with a flock of LF birds.  I strongly suggest that you get all of your birds from the same place and at the same age and at the same time.  Mixing and matching from different sources and different ages brings a whole set of issues that are difficult for a newbie to manage.  Not to mention biosecurity issues.  Sounds like you will be getting straight run.  If you want to end up with 6 pullets, better get 12 chicks and have an exit plan in place for the roos.  Hatching your own eggs, even for a first timer is not an unreasonable plan.  But, it takes dedication, and there is a learning curve.  If you choose to go this route, I recommend that you have a mentor to help you along.  I started my first flock (this time around) with chicks hatched in a home made incubator.  I hatched 5/6 eggs from a local flock, and added 3 EE to them from a local feed store.  You might even consider going the incubator route and getting some local mutt eggs.  Re: the silkies:  your kids will be in love with what ever birds you end up with.  Do you want small eggs?  Do you want birds that are broody VERY often?  Broody hens don't lay eggs, but they are often cranky and keep the nest box tied up for weeks at a time, unless you have a broody breaker pen.

How big a coop?  MINIMUM recommendation is 4 s.f. in the coop and 10 s.f. in the run per bird.  Any less than that, and you invite issues with aggression, feather picking, disease.  If you intend to occasionally add to your flock so that you are not running a nursing home for geriatric hens 3 years from now, you might want to build with that in consideration.  If you intend to ever let a broody hen set on eggs, again, you'll need more room.  

Coop safety:  Chicken wire will only keep birds in, will not keep predators out.  Build with that thought in mind.  Lots of ventilation is a MUST, no matter what climate you live in.  

Kudos to you for thinking this through, and doing some planning before bringing home some fuzz butts!

That is the coop I am getting my husband to build. It'll be about 20sqft. What kind of wire pen will keep racoons out? Thats what we have the most issues with here. Racoons raid our pond all the time. Killing all our fish. Its very annoying. Our dog (st.bernard) is very good as a livestock guardian, but she sleeps indoors at night. As you know thats when racoons come out to "dine".
I wouldn't get any chicks without having our coop complete first. I also have a garage, and wood room I could use to raise the chicks in (in a xlarge rubbermaid bin possibly?).
I do know a couple people who have backyard hens. And they can definitely give me some pointers when I start up. I'm glad to know they can go outside right away. Just need them to be safe! I feel like they wont be when they're so little.
Still looking into different breeds .
I want good laying hens, but I want friendly chickens too. So that's where the fun in research come in!!! .
Thanks for all the advise I really really appreciate it!

 

[lazy gardener]

Check out Henderson's Chicken Breeds chart. That coop would be hard pressed to hold 5 birds, and even then, there are some serious design flaws with it. Lack of ventilation. Lumber not strong enough to stand up to onslaught of predators. Not enough lighting in the coop. Not enough head room in coop or lower level of the run to allow for litter management. Do you intend for it to stay in one place, or will you move it around your yard? I'm having a hard time seeing where the perch would be in the coop. It needs to be above the nest boxes, or you will have them sleeping in the nest boxes. The ramp is quite steep, will be difficult for the birds to manage. Unless you are going to do an all out/all (cull all of the old ones, then start a new group) in flock rotation that coop will not allow you to add new birds in the future. Sorry to heap so much criticism on the design, but I'd rather do so than have you spend the money and time building it, only to find out that it doesn't suit your needs.

In order to keep out predators, you will need to use 1/2" welded hardware cloth, and a minimum of 2 x 3 structural framing, bury a skirt all the way around the perimeter of the run. All latches need to be such that an average 2 year old couldn't open them.

 

[Blooie]

Check out Henderson's Chicken Breeds chart. That coop would be hard pressed to hold 5 birds, and even then, there are some serious design flaws with it. Lack of ventilation. Lumber not strong enough to stand up to onslaught of predators. Not enough lighting in the coop. Not enough head room in coop or lower level of the run to allow for litter management. Do you intend for it to stay in one place, or will you move it around your yard? I'm having a hard time seeing where the perch would be in the coop. It needs to be above the nest boxes, or you will have them sleeping in the nest boxes. The ramp is quite steep, will be difficult for the birds to manage. Unless you are going to do an all out/all (cull all of the old ones, then start a new group) in flock rotation that coop will not allow you to add new birds in the future. Sorry to heap so much criticism on the design, but I'd rather do so than have you spend the money and time building it, only to find out that it doesn't suit your needs.

In order to keep out predators, you will need to use 1/2" welded hardware cloth, and a minimum of 2 x 3 structural framing, bury a skirt all the way around the perimeter of the run. All latches need to be such that an average 2 year old couldn't open them.

x2

 

[EggSighted4Life]

@Blooie That was me talking 95 first week...

I actually LOVE mamma heating pad! And I guess was passing on GENERAL guide lines for newbs. But seeing the difference in outdoor raised birds has made me a believer!

X 3 @lazy gardener I'm glad it wasn't me to bash that chicken house.... as "cute" as it is.

I know it was actually constructive criticism. And I am thankful when someone else goes in to the needed details when I'm just too brain fried at the end of the day. Nice detailed explanation. Other wise, it drives me crazy until I have the chance to come back and TRY to be helpful.

 

[lazy gardener]

@Blooie That was me talking 95 first week...

I actually LOVE mamma heating pad! And I guess was passing on GENERAL guide lines for newbs. But seeing the difference in outdoor raised birds has made me a believer!

X 3 @lazy gardener I'm glad it wasn't me to bash that chicken house.... as "cute" as it is.

I know it was actually constructive criticism. And I am thankful when someone else goes in to the needed details when I'm just too brain fried at the end of the day. Nice detailed explanation. Other wise, it drives me crazy until I have the chance to come back and TRY to be helpful.

I'm often hesitant to stick my nose in, because I've been slammed repeatedly for doing so. But, I'd rather do so before the money is spent.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm often hesitant to stick my nose in, because I've been slammed repeatedly for doing so. But, I'd rather do so before the money is spent.

Experience is the mother of all teachers! And going on to our 3rd coop, there are changes to be made from lessons learned on 1 AND 2.

 

[yeye5]

I'm much more of a newcomer to I intentional chicken raising than most of the others here. I just wanted to add in my positive experience with juvenile silkies (20 weeks old now and hatched here). I am keeping the 3 silkie cockerels and one silkie pullet with male and female polish of similar age.
I introduced them with supervision of course and 3 people in case we had to grab any of them if there were issues.
They got along perfect you! My goal is to create a mini household with the polish cockerel plus polish and silkie pullets.
I've just had an unrelated hatch and depending on genders and whims the silkie boys may have buddies in that hatchbut more likely I seek out ideal matches between now a d spring.
Long winded, I'm sorry!
I really just wanted to offer the idea, if you want more than one breed,polish are docile,adorable,on the smaller range and beyond entertaining!
I trust if I've not explained well that one of the more experienced folks will come along a d correct me

 

[yeye5]

Just for clarity all the silkies came from one hatch.