What age should chicks be before introducing mother and chicks to the flock? Also what should they all eat layers or growers?

[rachelsp]

I’m hoping some one can help. What age should chicks be before introducing mother and chicks to the flock? Also what should they all eat layers or growers?

 

[aart]

Might depend on your setup.
But I let broody incubate and hatch in the coop separated by a wire wall from the flock.
I take the wire wall down about a week after hatch.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Flock Raiser would be a good diet, because both adults, & chicks can eat it.

Just supply oyster shells on the side for the layers.

I introduced mother, & chicks to the flock at about 4 weeks of age.

 

[rachelsp]

Might depend on your setup.
But I let broody incubate and hatch in the coop separated by a wire wall from the flock.
I take the wire wall down about a week after hatch.

That’s good news my chicks are nearly six weeks so I should be able to introduce now? They are in their own run and coop within the flocks run so they see each other every day?

 

[rachelsp]

Flock Raiser would be a good diet, because both adults, & chicks can eat it.

Just supply oyster shells on the side for the layers.

I introduced mother, & chicks to the flock at about 4 weeks of age.

Never heard of that, will google that now, thanks.

Amazing mine are nearly 6 weeks old now so hoping all will be fine to introduce?

 

[MysteryChicken]

Never heard of that, will google that now, thanks.

Amazing mine are nearly 6 weeks old now so hoping all will be fine to introduce?

Wouldn't hurt to try. The hen should be getting ready to kick them out of her care. My hen kicked her chicks out of her care when they reached 4½ weeks.

 

[VeryHappyHens]

I’m hoping some one can help. What age should chicks be before introducing mother and chicks to the flock? Also what should they all eat layers or growers?

I let my broody hen and chick go with the flock they eat grower and medicated feed mix with scrambled eggs. My flock isnt mean at all they actually do not care about the chicks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What age should chicks be before introducing mother and chicks to the flock?

As you probably noticed, we all do it differently. My broodies hatch with the flock and raise the chicks with the flock from Day 1.

To me your issue is when will the broody stop taking care of her chicks and wean them. I've had hens do that as young as three weeks, some take care of the chicks well over two months. As long as the hen is taking care of them she should protect them if they need it and teach the others to leave her babies alone. If she has enough time she takes care of integration.

Once she weans them they are left on their own to make their own way with the flock. Even my three week olds have managed that fine after the broody handled integration. They still have to handle pecking order issues which they do by avoiding the older ones but at least the older ones are not hunting them to hurt them. I do have a lot of room, more than 4 square feet in the coop and much more than 10 square feet per chicken in the run. I think that makes a lot of difference.

If she weans them before she takes care of integration it's just like integrating brooder-raised chicks. I have no idea when your broody hen will wean them.

Also what should they all eat layers or growers?

Growing chicks should not eat Layer. The amount of Calcium in Layer has been shown to be harmful to growing chicks. That much is pretty clear. What becomes a bit unclear is when they are able to handle Layer feed. That calcium in Layer is there to provide the calcium laying hens need for their egg shells. If they are laying then the extra calcium won't hurt them. If they are not laying then the extra calcium can stress them. That's hens not laying and roosters that never lay.

It's not what is in one bite, it's how many grams of total calcium do they eat in a day. If Layer is all they eat, that might be too much calcium for some. Some seem to be able to handle it. But if they eat a lot of low-calcium food in a day, the amount they get from Layer may not be significant. For example, if your flock forages for a lot of their food the amount of calcium in Layer may not be an issue at all. How you manage them plays a big part in how much feeding them Layer hurts them.

I almost always have immature growing chicks in my flock so I never feed Layer. I feed a Starter or Grower to every one of them, depending on how old the chicks, are with oyster shell on the side. The ones that need the calcium for egg shells seem to know it, the rest don't eat enough to harm themselves. Instead of Starter or Grower some people feed some other low calcium feed with a calcium supplement on the side, often called Flock Raiser or All Flock.

I don't know what the right answer is for you, I don't know how you manage them or what your flock will look like. Good luck!

 

[rachelsp]

As you probably noticed, we all do it differently. My broodies hatch with the flock and raise the chicks with the flock from Day 1.

To me your issue is when will the broody stop taking care of her chicks and wean them. I've had hens do that as young as three weeks, some take care of the chicks well over two months. As long as the hen is taking care of them she should protect them if they need it and teach the others to leave her babies alone. If she has enough time she takes care of integration.

Once she weans them they are left on their own to make their own way with the flock. Even my three week olds have managed that fine after the broody handled integration. They still have to handle pecking order issues which they do by avoiding the older ones but at least the older ones are not hunting them to hurt them. I do have a lot of room, more than 4 square feet in the coop and much more than 10 square feet per chicken in the run. I think that makes a lot of difference.

If she weans them before she takes care of integration it's just like integrating brooder-raised chicks. I have no idea when your broody hen will wean them.


Growing chicks should not eat Layer. The amount of Calcium in Layer has been shown to be harmful to growing chicks. That much is pretty clear. What becomes a bit unclear is when they are able to handle Layer feed. That calcium in Layer is there to provide the calcium laying hens need for their egg shells. If they are laying then the extra calcium won't hurt them. If they are not laying then the extra calcium can stress them. That's hens not laying and roosters that never lay.

It's not what is in one bite, it's how many grams of total calcium do they eat in a day. If Layer is all they eat, that might be too much calcium for some. Some seem to be able to handle it. But if they eat a lot of low-calcium food in a day, the amount they get from Layer may not be significant. For example, if your flock forages for a lot of their food the amount of calcium in Layer may not be an issue at all. How you manage them plays a big part in how much feeding them Layer hurts them.

I almost always have immature growing chicks in my flock so I never feed Layer. I feed a Starter or Grower to every one of them, depending on how old the chicks, are with oyster shell on the side. The ones that need the calcium for egg shells seem to know it, the rest don't eat enough to harm themselves. Instead of Starter or Grower some people feed some other low calcium feed with a calcium supplement on the side, often called Flock Raiser or All Flock.

I don't know what the right answer is for you, I don't know how you manage them or what your flock will look like. Good luck!

Thank you for this, I have put them all on growers and supplied the oyster shells like you suggested

 

[rachelsp]

Thank you to everyone who replied, chicks are doing well in the flock other than the occasional peck from the older girls when they step out of line! I’m sure that will change as the rooster chick gets bigger!!! Thanks again this has all been very helpful