Thinking about adding to my existing flock... helpful tips please!

[camochick96]

I brood my chicks in the run (wire dog crate with extra hardwear cloth around the bottom to keep the Littles in the first week) I use a mama heating pad type set up, only I use a terracotta pot on its side with the heating pad wrapped over the top. (as the chicks get bigger you can change out the pot size) I put pine shavings in the pot to make it softer and cozy. The terracotta holds and disperses heat well, so it's kind of like a radient heat set up.

I have three 2 week olds and two 4 week olds in this set up right now and all of them let themselves in and out of their cage, hang out with the older birds and are fairly well integrates with the flock.
Still some pecking and chasing but the Littles can run to their brooder or other hidey spots around the run as needed.
This set up has been SO easy compared to brooding in the garage.
View attachment 1741400 this photos has girls from my first go round with this set up earlier this spring.
View attachment 1741403
Here you can see them at about 4 weeks old, out and enjoying the run with everyone else.

That looks like a great idea! The only problem is my coop is far from any electric outlet where I could run a heating pad for them. This looks like a great set up once they are a little bigger and more cold tolerant though. Good thing is I’m in Texas and our temperatures are warmer than most, so I might do the dog crate set up for during the daytime when it’s warm.

 

[aart]

It’s a 4x4 coop, so technically it will hold 6 birds if you do the chicken math is what I meant.

Well, depends on what 'chicken math' you use.

Typically, 'chicken math' is when you can't stop buying or hatching chickens until you have too many to fit the housing you have and you end with with behavioral and/or disease issues due to crowding.

Not sure what kind of 'chicken math' you used to determine that 16 square feet of coop will hold 6 birds...but it's not the good kind, IMO...and you're well on your way to the typical kind of 'chicken math'.

I would not add any more birds, it's tight space already and integration of new birds works best with extra space.

So my helpful tip is: build a bigger coop!

 

[Rlmp817]

That looks like a great idea! The only problem is my coop is far from any electric outlet where I could run a heating pad for them. This looks like a great set up once they are a little bigger and more cold tolerant though. Good thing is I’m in Texas and our temperatures are warmer than most, so I might do the dog crate set up for during the daytime when it’s warm.

I had to run a VERY large extension cord. A solar outlet could be another option if you have a nice sunny space.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I started my little backyard flock 2 years ago today! I got 5 chicks to start on this journey, 4 were pullets and one turned out to be a cockerel. Two months ago I lost one of my best laying hens, a slw. I’m looking to expand my flock this spring. And seeing the little chicks in all the feed stores has me ready! I’d like to get at least 2 more pullets, possibly 3. None of my girls have any interest in setting on eggs, so that option is out. And I’m concerned about hatching my own and ending up with roosters, I love my boy but he’s enough lol! What would be my best option to adding to my existing flock? My thoughts are buy chicks and raise them up in a brooder for a few weeks. And then slowly integrate them in with the others. I have a small wire pen I think I could use to integrate them into the coop slowly. I have no experience with integrating to an existing flock, so any helpful tips and concerns will be greatly appreciated!

Sounds like you have the start of a good plan. I would probably look for checks that you can sex by their color patterning.

 

[kwaple001]

Make sure you wait until they’re the same size before attempting to integrate. Placing them in the coop where the older ones can’t get to them but can see them is the best way in my opinion. Once they’re the same size I let them out at the same time to free range for about a week, then integrate them fully inside the run as well. Also, be sure to have more than one feeding station so the older bullies don’t run them off from the food.

 

[jengrinager]

I have had chickens now for 3 years and we have added to our flock twice. I was very nervous about it at first, but have been surprised how easy it was. All my breeds are pretty docile chickens, so I don't know if that is the reason, but this is what I have done. First, I got pullets from a local supplier that is trusted and known for healthy hens. I put a pen inside the big coop that had their own water and food for the first day. At night I put the pullets into the hen house with the rest of the flock and made the pen that they had been in accessible for them to get back into in the morning when they all got up for the day. The small pen had an opening that was big enough for the pullets to get in and out of it, but the larger hens were too big to fit. That way the pullets had somewhere to go for safety. Each night I checked to make sure that the pullets were going in the hen house. I only had to do that for 2-3 nights. The big hens did some intimidating, but no injuries or serious pecking. We have a large coop. The first time we added, we only got two pullets, but the second time we got three pullets and they did better.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Make sure you wait until they’re the same size before attempting to integrate. Placing them in the coop where the older ones can’t get to them but can see them is the best way in my opinion. Once they’re the same size I let them out at the same time to free range for about a week, then integrate them fully inside the run as well. Also, be sure to have more than one feeding station so the older bullies don’t run them off from the food.

While this is a common approach, it is not the only approach nor is it the only Safeway to go about integration. In fact, many of us have found that integrating earlier rather than later is actually less stressful for everyone and happens in a more organic fashion. This involves integrating chicks as early as 3 to 4 weeks of age after cope routing them in the co-op or run within sight of the existing adult flock. This approach works similarly to the natural integration that happens when a broody hen has raised her chicks within the flock.