We got our baby chicks tonight, some questions about them Pics too

[csaws]

We are starting year two with chickens and we got our chicks tonight from our Rural King. We bought all "pullets" however wifey thinks one she grabbed is not a pullet. We got 3 Buff Orpingtons, 4 Auracanas, 3 Golden Laced Wyandottes, and 3 Bantams. We got them into their new digs with food and water after the pics how far off the litter does the heat lamp need to be? We have it 14 inches off the bottom of the box.

Since we have year old'ish chickens and these new ones when do we introduce them to each other? We know we have to wait until it is warm enough for the little ones to go to the coop but we don't know when and how to introduce them to the flock. Thanks for all the help.

Chick pic links

 

[csaws]

Wow... no help, I am surprised

 

[annie3001]

i couldnt see the photos?

to introduce the old flock with the new.. i would start in small intros, perhaps thru a cage first. maybe at night perhaps.. thats what i have heard anyways.
good luck!!

p.s. sometimes it takes a bit for people.. to get up.. read byc.. figure the answers etc.
we are all here...sometimes its.. well saturday afterall!!!! sleeping in..relaxing!!

 

[lovinlife]

I can't see the pics either. Just a red box.

As for introducing the chicks to the flock, wait until they have feathered out. I put mine in a cage next to the adult birds so they get used to them before I put them together.

 

[Noncentzter]

Ok, I'm fairly new myself, but this is what I've picked up so far...

In the brooder, the heat needs to be at least 90-95 degrees on the top of the bedding for one week and then reduce by 5 degrees each week until it's no longer required.

For introducing the new chicks, after they are 8 weeks old, keep them separated with fencing inbetween them so that they can get to know each other. I'm not sure how long to keep them separated prior to integration, but you'll need to make a hole in the fencing (small enough for the babies to go through but not the older birds)so the babies can escape the older birds if they need too.

Hope this helps...

 

[csaws]

Thanks for the suggestions, by cage do you mean dog crate style cage or something else????

he pics were just to show the girls off, not a big deal really.

 

[lovinlife]

I used an extra large wire dog crate, but I put chicken wire around the bottom to keep heads from getting caught between the bars. I put it inside my run. Worked great. I still use it as a mini-coop for my bantams. I put some sheet metal on the top as a roof, some plywood on the sides, and a 1"x1/2" roosting pole in there. I'm in central TX, so I don't have the weather issues those in the northern states have. Although, this has been the coldest winter we've had in quite a long time.