The chicks spent quality time with the hens today! funny

[lovemychix]

I have 25 chicks that are a month old in the house now. They are getting so big and outgrowing their brooder. I may be able to keep them in the house for another week or a bit longer but that will be pushing it. I have 6 young pullets, around 7 mo. of age out their now. It's a big coop. Do you think I should build a area for them or just add them and keep an eye on them. Building a wall would be a lot of work.

I'm thinking that since there are so many of them they will be fine but IDK for sure. Just wondering if any of you have done this before. I'm adding heat lamps since its so cold here.

 

[TaLani]

I did do something pretty similar to what you're dealing w/ now. Our 1st set was actually a mistake on the hatchery's part bc they sent us someone else's 7 chicks! Great freebies for us, but not ideal knowing that we'd be getting our "real" set a month (actually 6wks) later. At any rate, we raised the 1st set for 6wks & put them in the big run. Then we got our 2nd/"real" set & raised them for 6wks & then put them in w/ the 1st/older set of chicks.

There was quite a bit of pecking going on & one of our Buff Laced Polish's head feathers got pecked as well as the tail feathers of a BO. They are fine though. Long story short, we just watched them closely. When we first put the 2nd/youngest set in w/ the 1st/oldest we did it at night time on a Friday night so everyone was concentrating on roosting and not fighting & it worked out well.

We put them there on a Friday night so we knew we'd be at home on Sat & Sun to be able to sit out there w/ them and swat a broom at the 1st/oldest set if they became too aggressive w/ the 2nd/youngest set.

Hope all of the above helps ya a little anyway.

 

[lovemychix]

I'm really concerned with the age difference. I'm hoping they will gang together, which I think they will. I've never noticed my older hens being too aggressive.

 

[debilorrah]

A roll of chicken wire is really cheap and can be a temporary split down the middle or however you want to do it. But in order to have a nice and uneventful intergration, they need to be kept seperate but visible to each other for a few weeks. THEN let them spend a few hours a day together, etc. After about 3-4 weeks, they should be ok to fully integrate. It worked wonders for us doing it that way.

 

[BawkinOnTheBench]

We have 3 pullets that are 15 weeks older than our 6 young ones. We sectioned off an area of the run for the babies and built them a little mini-coop. So they've been able to see each other for quite awhile. When the babies were probably about 8 weeks old we started letting them free range together. The big girls DO go out of their way to peck them, but with all the space and cover no one has ever gotten seriously pecked. I'm now starting to let them have about half an hour together in the run (while I supervise) prior to free ranging, and over the long Thanksgiving weekend we're planning on putting them together permanently. By that time the youngsters will be 15 weeks old. They are going to get pecked, but I don't think anyone is in too much danger - at least, I hope not!

 

[debilorrah]

This worked for us PERFECTLY:

4 weeks in the house
4-6 weeks inside the hen house seperated but visible to the others
6-8 weeks cut a small hole in the seperator so they can get out but the others can't get in
8-9 weeks shut them out of the brooder during the day and let them back in at night
9 weeks, close them out completely

You may have to adjust the time spent on each step, depending on how your other birds act. I hope this helps!

 

[lovemychix]

Thanks for the advice. I've got some work to do to get that shed ready. I hope it warms up here. It's so cold and rainy and depressing. I never minded cold until I got my chickens. I like to be with them but I freeze to death out there. My daughter doesn't want them to go out but they are getting tooooooo big. These chicks are her pride and joys. Mine too. Thanks again!

 

[kiki2]

I was just going to ask about how to put my baby chicks out with the bigger girls, and lo and behold, you just asked the same question yesterday.
I love this forum, it is so nice to have a free flow of information and ideas, and best of all access to others experienced with keeping chickens!
Bless you all!

 

[Wildsky]

I let my groups free-range together before actually putting the babies in the coop to sleep.

I think I had them out daily for about a week, I then put the brooder in the coop - and for a few days the babies slept in the brooder in the coop and each morning when I opened up for free-ranging, I would let the babies out as well.

I created a safe area in the run (the run was open alot anyway) but a small corner was fenced off with a small hole for the babies to be able to run in and hide if needed, my bantams could get in the hole along with the babies, but the big standards couldn't.

It did take a while, the babies figured out where to go etc... and it worked out well.

The chicks were in the brooder in the coop for a few days, I then cut a hole in the side of the brooder - so the babies could come out when they wanted to. They were up on the roost at night within about two weeks.

 

[lovemychix]

I worked all day to get my babes outside. They seem so happy. I'll have to get some pics tomorrow. They love having the room. I just cleaned out my storage area and made them their own room. My older hens are so interested in what I was doing.

Then when I brought the babes in they were bawwwwk bawwk. I know they will get along. Thank you for the advice! I can easily make an escape door eventually so they can get back to safety. I have been out there checking on them all day and evening. I love them so....it is so nice to sit out there and love them.