The 6th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[NikkiCole5]

I won't have a mean animal, I'm thinking of rehoming two of my banties, the two I keep penned up, I can hardly change their water without getting charged, but they have 2 babies, and I'm trying to give them the benefit of,the doubt since the cat (now deceased) traumatized them by eating 11 of their kids!

I hope you are successful! I'm trying again when I make a larger pen, and I'm gonna get rid of my drake duck, he is harming my hens

 

[CowboysAngel]

I hope you are successful! I'm trying again when I make a larger pen, and I'm gonna get rid of my drake duck, he is harming my hens

I wanted a frizzle for so long and then I got her and Wow! Meanest hen on earth! Well I have her babies now and they're gentle so if she doesn't change her ways she can hit the road! Lol

 

[Mama Bay]

I was just talking to someone last night about this same thing. It all depends on your set-up, etc - what age to integrate. When I first integrated new chicks into my adult flock (2010), I divided the coop & run in half, but they could see each other, but not touch. Once they were 3/4 the size of the adult hens, I then started to let them co-mingle. There was pecking and chasing, but the new pullets were big enough to withstand it - plus they greatly outnumbered the adult hens. In 2011 when I raised out pullet chicks & Freedom Ranger meat chickens (together) to 8 weeks or so, then began introducing them to each other, with a fence in between. After a week or more of this, then I started letting the adults and little ones co-mingle. There was lots of pecking, chasing, especially from one of the hens who was "lower ranks" & had been picked on by the other hens. So, I guess she was taking out her frustration on the young chicks. But, after awhile, everyone was accepted & "peace returned to the flock". In 2012, I had my first broody hen, and the difference with how the flock accepted those chicks was incredible. The hen (my"famous" Daisy) protected the chicks and within a few days old, they were co-mingling with the adults. Later in the year she went broody again, as well as, another hen, Alix. In 2013, I had many hens go broody, of whom raised the majority of my flock's chicks, along with a few from TSC. Here is one group from 2013 that spent the majority of their "growing up" life with the flock, who were always curious but didn't dare get too close to them.

​

2014 - all of my chicks were raised by broody hens, even the Cornish meaties & incubator chicks. They did very well, and it seemed like the adults were very accepting, almost "ignored" all the young'ins - partially because the hens would beat them up if they did, but even the more laid back hens' chicks were quickly accepted into the flock with hardly any pecking/chasing. Don't get me wrong, the adults still would peck at them if they go too close to their feed or later on, chose to roost in the coop in someone's favorite spot. But, the transition was pretty uneventful, especially compared to previous years. Here's a few of the chicks sharing food scraps with two of the Red Stars, and they're obviously not 8 weeks old yet.

​

This year, the first 3 hatches were all from incubators and raised indoors until it warmed up enough to put them outside. By that time, one hen had gone broody and was raising her chicks along with all the adult flock. I kept the older chicks (4-9 wks old) in a separate pen for a few days, then started letting the young stock out. The adults seemed most interested in trying to find a way to get to their food, but otherwise let them alone. Within a few days, the young and adults were digging in the compost pile and eating grass in the paddocks together. I have not seen the typical pecking, chasing that goes on - it's like everyone knows their rightful place and order - therefore all is well. It might also have to do with the majority of the Catskill Homesteader hens and roosters have been raised by a broody hen, been around a broody hen with chicks or has been broody herself. I've even witnessed some of the roosters clucking and calling to let the hens and chicks know "there's a special treat over here". Or sometimes, the rooster will stand guard by the hen and chicks while they eat, with his head held high and on the alert. Other times, he will share his food with one of the chicks, even the Cornish that are obviously not his offspring!

​

​

What's also interesting to observe is how this year's 3 oldest batches of chicks (one of which was the Easter Hatch-a-Long) who weren't raised by broody hens very quickly learned to forage, and many have been busy excavating the compost pile in search for "goodies". As you can tell, I love watching the flock dynamics, and as they are now a multi-generational breeding project, I'm seeing many qualities that I don't remember seeing when I had all-hen flocks, ordered from a hatchery and brooded by humans.

Great observations

 

[mollybuck]

I was just talking to someone last night about this same thing. It all depends on your set-up, etc - what age to integrate. When I first integrated new chicks into my adult flock (2010), I divided the coop & run in half, but they could see each other, but not touch. Once they were 3/4 the size of the adult hens, I then started to let them co-mingle. There was pecking and chasing, but the new pullets were big enough to withstand it - plus they greatly outnumbered the adult hens. In 2011 when I raised out pullet chicks & Freedom Ranger meat chickens (together) to 8 weeks or so, then began introducing them to each other, with a fence in between. After a week or more of this, then I started letting the adults and little ones co-mingle. There was lots of pecking, chasing, especially from one of the hens who was "lower ranks" & had been picked on by the other hens. So, I guess she was taking out her frustration on the young chicks. But, after awhile, everyone was accepted & "peace returned to the flock".
In 2012, I had my first broody hen, and the difference with how the flock accepted those chicks was incredible. The hen (my"famous" Daisy) protected the chicks and within a few days old, they were co-mingling with the adults. Later in the year she went broody again, as well as, another hen, Alix.
In 2013, I had many hens go broody, of whom raised the majority of my flock's chicks, along with a few from TSC. Here is one group from 2013 that spent the majority of their "growing up" life with the flock, who were always curious but didn't dare get too close to them.

​

2014 - all of my chicks were raised by broody hens, even the Cornish meaties & incubator chicks. They did very well, and it seemed like the adults were very accepting, almost "ignored" all the young'ins - partially because the hens would beat them up if they did, but even the more laid back hens' chicks were quickly accepted into the flock with hardly any pecking/chasing. Don't get me wrong, the adults still would peck at them if they go too close to their feed or later on, chose to roost in the coop in someone's favorite spot. But, the transition was pretty uneventful, especially compared to previous years. Here's a few of the chicks sharing food scraps with two of the Red Stars, and they're obviously not 8 weeks old yet.

​

This year, the first 3 hatches were all from incubators and raised indoors until it warmed up enough to put them outside. By that time, one hen had gone broody and was raising her chicks along with all the adult flock. I kept the older chicks (4-9 wks old) in a separate pen for a few days, then started letting the young stock out. The adults seemed most interested in trying to find a way to get to their food, but otherwise let them alone. Within a few days, the young and adults were digging in the compost pile and eating grass in the paddocks together. I have not seen the typical pecking, chasing that goes on - it's like everyone knows their rightful place and order - therefore all is well. It might also have to do with the majority of the Catskill Homesteader hens and roosters have been raised by a broody hen, been around a broody hen with chicks or has been broody herself. I've even witnessed some of the roosters clucking and calling to let the hens and chicks know "there's a special treat over here". Or sometimes, the rooster will stand guard by the hen and chicks while they eat, with his head held high and on the alert. Other times, he will share his food with one of the chicks, even the Cornish that are obviously not his offspring!

​

What's also interesting to observe is how this year's 3 oldest batches of chicks (one of which was the Easter Hatch-a-Long) who weren't raised by broody hens very quickly learned to forage, and many have been busy excavating the compost pile in search for "goodies".
As you can tell, I love watching the flock dynamics, and as they are now a multi-generational breeding project, I'm seeing many qualities that I don't remember seeing when I had all-hen flocks, ordered from a hatchery and brooded by humans.

I've done the same thing. i integrated slowly the first year.. then last year my broodies hatched out babies and had no issues with the pecking order. this year I bought my CX and a couple EEand they were all just .. put in the run.. at 6 weeks old. no exposure or anything. the run is big enough they could get away.. but not once did i have any pecking. I think perhaps they are just use to the integration now. my dad was amazed at how easy it is with my birds. I have 20 of them.. plus the 12 cx. he has 6 hens and tried to introduce a roo... they killed it. i kept telling him to do it slowly, but he is old and set in his ways and no way a hen would push over a roo.... he is now too afraid to put anything in with them, even though they are more tame towards him than mine are. ( i hold mine occasionally, mostly just a check over, he holds his birds all the time!)

 

[NikkiCole5]

Hey guys! my local feed store sold me "grain" instead of cracked corn, is this okay for chickens to eat with Layena laying feed or should I take it back and get corn? thank you

 

[ronott1]

Hey guys! my local feed store sold me "grain" instead of cracked corn, is this okay for chickens to eat with Layena laying feed or should I take it back and get corn? thank you

It should be fine.

Corn might be a bad grain for them to eat--wheat and oats are said to be easier for them to digest.

Go do some research!

 

[NikkiCole5]

It should be fine.

Corn might be a bad grain for them to eat--wheat and oats are said to be easier for them to digest.

Go do some research!

I opened the bag and it is corn lol, the people at my feed store said I can give them corn, that's why I do

 

[ronott1]

I opened the bag and it is corn lol, the people at my feed store said I can give them corn, that's why I do

Is it a bit of scratch each day? Most of their feed should be chicken feed--especially in the winter.

 

[NikkiCole5]

Is it a bit of scratch each day? Most of their feed should be chicken feed--especially in the winter.

I give them mostly laying feed, Layena laying feed. I add the corn or scratch to the Layena in small portions

 

[ronott1]

I give them mostly laying feed, Layena laying feed. I add the corn or scratch to the Layena in small portions

The person I am hatching for was bragging about only feeding the chickens scratch all winter--Poor things are in bad health this year and it shows in the hatch rates--and bad hatches.