I know there has to be a post here about adding to the flock??
I have 8 adult females and one banty Roo. I have 13 baby chicks ranging in age from 8 weeks to 4 weeks. Problem is they have completly outgrown their housing. I have begged DH for a intermiedate coop and he won't make me one.
Here is what I have available.
Currently the big girls roam .20 acre pasture. They have a small barn with a trap door that goes to the nest boxes and roost. The other side of the barn is empty and "could" be built into a coup but that would take more $$.
On the other side of the pasture there is a corner that is somewhat fenced off. It wouldn't be hard to completely fence off, but there wouldn't be any overhead protection or predator protection (locked coop)
I am at a loss as what to do. If they stay in the garage they may get run over by DH when he goes to work.
How and what can I do to introduce the chicks to the hens. Will the chicks follow the hens to the coop at night? Will they get picked on in the coop? I am not worried about day time because the pasture has all kinds of hiding places. But nights worry me. I currently don't lock or shut the night time trap door as we haven't had any predators and we have a great black lab who protects the babies. So should I shut the door to keep the baby chicks inside? Would they "get" that? Or should I block off the whole entrance to the barn and let the baby chicks have the barn side with a make-shift roost.
Advice??
I have 8 adult females and one banty Roo. I have 13 baby chicks ranging in age from 8 weeks to 4 weeks. Problem is they have completly outgrown their housing. I have begged DH for a intermiedate coop and he won't make me one.
Here is what I have available.
Currently the big girls roam .20 acre pasture. They have a small barn with a trap door that goes to the nest boxes and roost. The other side of the barn is empty and "could" be built into a coup but that would take more $$.
On the other side of the pasture there is a corner that is somewhat fenced off. It wouldn't be hard to completely fence off, but there wouldn't be any overhead protection or predator protection (locked coop)
I am at a loss as what to do. If they stay in the garage they may get run over by DH when he goes to work.
How and what can I do to introduce the chicks to the hens. Will the chicks follow the hens to the coop at night? Will they get picked on in the coop? I am not worried about day time because the pasture has all kinds of hiding places. But nights worry me. I currently don't lock or shut the night time trap door as we haven't had any predators and we have a great black lab who protects the babies. So should I shut the door to keep the baby chicks inside? Would they "get" that? Or should I block off the whole entrance to the barn and let the baby chicks have the barn side with a make-shift roost.
Advice??
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