what age do you put the young hens in with the older ones

[troy4]

Well,i defently know spring times comein'.My roosters are trying to impress the hens!

 

[jailbirdjulie]

 

[jailbirdjulie]

Switch the hens back to grower food till the chicks are old enough for layer food. That's what I did last year and made sure the hens had oyster shell calcium along with it. They did great and it was easier than trying to feed them something different.

 

[Madpolak]

HI all!! Need some advice on a new young roo we are trying to introduce to older hens. He's an Ameraucana and is very tame and timid, about 13 weeks old. We have him in with 6 15 week old hens , same breed. He is so laid back that he just sits in the corner with his feet sticking out in front of him. Whenever he gets up to move around or eat one hen in particular goes after him. If we separate him with two of the calmer hens he does fine.

We were going to incorporate them all with the 4 hens from our original flock but we have one Barred Rock/sexlink mix that is going after all of them when they are out free ranging. She's bottom of the pecking order in the old group. The other three will peck at them when they are close but not so aggressively.

We are thinking of keeping him with the two he gets along with and just moving in the other four and waiting until next weekend to add the roo with his two friends. Any input would be appreciated.

 

[cortner1195]

The advice I was given was to integrate a higher ratio of new birds to old birds. It makes it easier for the newbies to get away. I also move the newbies to an adjacent pen for a week or two. That way everyone can see each other all day for a while. Then free range together, then finally move everyone together at night. I always do the last step when I have the next morning off work. That way I can check on them.

I know some people have a very easy time integrating new birds at a young age. I have never had that luck. Mine have always been a traumatic event. I make sure they are very near the same size. Chickens can be vicious. Last year I followed all that, and one older hen was being a real you know what. I ended up moving her, and her best friend to the grow out pen for a few days. That rest the order, and all was fine after that.

 

[gilcamp4]

GRRR! THAT DARN FOX STRIKED AGAIN THIS TIME I WAS STANDING OUT THERE AND VENELLOPE CAME FLYING OVER THE HILL CLUCKING THATS WHEN I KNEW! ONE OF MY OTHERS JUST STANDED OVER THE HILL CLUCKING! I CALLED MY DOG TAZ AND THAT FOX SHOT THREW THE CREEK AND AROUND THE CORNER I ONLY SAW ITS TAIL!MY DOGS STILL WERE SNIFFING AFTER WORDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GOOD THING HE DIDN'T GET A CJHICKEN!!!!!!

we had a fox 2 weeks ago get 8 hens in one night or morning, one of the hens got away from it, has no wings left and her neck was bare, i took her out of the coop and put her in an old rabbit cage we keep just for times like this, yesterday i was out there and she lad an egg for the first time in the 2 weeks, told hubby it was time to move her back in with he rest, so i did, i stayed out there all day just to make sure the other chicks would not go after her neck, all was well, she lad an egg again today. fox was back again one night but we worked on yard and it could not get in just walked around, we have a hunters camara up so we can look at it later, that fox was here at 6:15 am, we got a trap and are going to set it, try to out fo the fox.

 

[Madpolak]

Thanks for the input. That's basically what we did last year. Had to move a "b" to the broodie pen also and that did settle things down. May have to do the same this year with a different hen. Our concern is for the young roo who kind of stays off by himself when they are out free ranging in an outside pen. I think we will probably wait until tomorrow night to integrate the new hens because I am off Tuesday morning. We will keep the little roo with his girlfriend separate until he starts acting a little less timid when out and about. Thanks again.

 

[Mr Chicken 1]

I've found that the best way to mix the older ones with the younger is to first have the chicks in a cage or penn next to the older chickens. this gives them time to get used to each other without all the peking. this still will happen in order to establish the peking order but will be much less severe

.

 

[troy4]

BACK SORRY I AM NEVER ON MY HENS R HENS NOW THEIR BIRTHDAY WAS LAST MONTH YAY

 

[troy4]

i need pics of them on a raoiny day