What age to introduce new chickens to existing flock?

[austinm]

Please let me know how this plays out I want to do some consolidation of coops myself.

 

[3rdGenFarmer]

I was woundering if i could add my 4 week old chicks to my older girls which i have 5 of? I have a 4X8 shed that i keep the old girls in and dont really have another place to house the younge ones?

 

[Sonya9]

Also if they do integrate well, what do I do about feed?

Sounds like your integration was well thought out, I am also a big believer in "baby steps" if there is concern regarding aggression.

I am a newbie too, have three 11 week old standard chicks and 3 older bantam hens. All are on starter right now (the 4 year old bantam hens were recently adopted, I figured the medicated feed would be a good idea as the older hens could be exposed to new strains of coccidia in a new home).

I plan to move them all onto on to Purina's "all flock diet" later this week (also medicated) and offer the laying hens oyster shells in case they need more calcium. The feed store owners said most around here keep their chicks on medicated feed for 14 weeks and since it is spring and rainy I can see why (wet rainy weather increases coccidia growth). I have also read putting chicks under 18 weeks on layer feed is a bad thing (too much calcium can cause bone problems) so I don't want to do that. I can supplement the older hens food for a bit.

 

[Dee5385]

I have 4 adult hens and 6 9 week old babies. (2 black giants, and 4 buff orpingtons) They are all housed in a coop together; with a divider between the adults and the babies so they can be seen but not touched. They weren't kept seperate at first and I ending up with an injured baby....which has since healed and back to normal...so after the injury insident I put up a divider. Now my littles ones hurt another baby....UGH! So I'm aiding her back to health; I HOPE, fingers crossed; when should I be ok to let the divider down? I first injured baby could have been pecked by an adult since they weren't kept seperate but I wasn't there so I can't be sure. I just really hate seeing these little babies injured so I'm trying to make sure they are old enough to stand their ground when they are all together. Thoughts?!

Thanks

 

[janvoigt]

There absolutely- are exceptions to your last statement.

That doesn't even deserve a response.....

 

[mainechicklet]

That doesn't even deserve a response.....

But you did.

 

[BLT79]

Sounds like your integration was well thought out, I am also a big believer in "baby steps" if there is concern regarding aggression.

I am a newbie too, have three 11 week old standard chicks and 3 older bantam hens. All are on starter right now (the 4 year old bantam hens were recently adopted, I figured the medicated feed would be a good idea as the older hens could be exposed to new strains of coccidia in a new home).

I plan to move them all onto on to Purina's "all flock diet" later this week (also medicated) and offer the laying hens oyster shells in case they need more calcium. The feed store owners said most around here keep their chicks on medicated feed for 14 weeks and since it is spring and rainy I can see why (wet rainy weather increases coccidia growth). I have also read putting chicks under 18 weeks on layer feed is a bad thing (too much calcium can cause bone problems) so I don't want to do that. I can supplement the older hens food for a bit.

I believe there was a recall on the purina food. don't remember exactly what food, but I know it was purina and was within the last month! not sure if it was secluded to just one type, all flock, chick, etc. but I know it was poultry feed from Purina!

 

[Dee5385]

So I thought I'd share my experience...I got my first chickens earlier this year. I got 4 adults from an auction then I purchased 6 chicks from TSC. I waiting until the chicks were 8 weeks old before I put them in the outside coop. In one day a baby got pecked down to the skull OUCH! So I divided the coop to keep the older hens from hurting anymore of them. Nursed the injured one back to health. Just recently I moved the babies into the run. They were kept in the coop and they were getting too big and needed more room to run around. So they are in the run; which is divided still to keep the adults separate; so far so good. (it's only been two days) The run is divided with chicken wire so they adults can still see the babies (11 weeks, not really babies but you get my point). I've done tons of reading as to when they should all be able to live all together and I'm pretty sure I'm going to wait until closer to the 5 month mark. (when the babies should be getting ready to lay) My hope is they will be big enough in size to be able to stand up to the old chickens.

Anybody have other suggestions?

 

[BLT79]

So I thought I'd share my experience...I got my first chickens earlier this year. I got 4 adults from an auction then I purchased 6 chicks from TSC. I waiting until the chicks were 8 weeks old before I put them in the outside coop. In one day a baby got pecked down to the skull OUCH! So I divided the coop to keep the older hens from hurting anymore of them. Nursed the injured one back to health. Just recently I moved the babies into the run. They were kept in the coop and they were getting too big and needed more room to run around. So they are in the run; which is divided still to keep the adults separate; so far so good. (it's only been two days) The run is divided with chicken wire so they adults can still see the babies (11 weeks, not really babies but you get my point). I've done tons of reading as to when they should all be able to live all together and I'm pretty sure I'm going to wait until closer to the 5 month mark. (when the babies should be getting ready to lay) My hope is they will be big enough in size to be able to stand up to the old chickens.

Anybody have other suggestions?

I am doing the same thing as you. I have 5 one year olds in a coop in the run. then I have another coop in the run separated by metal fencing with 7 three month olds in there. We tried it briefly with one of the younger ones and it didn't go as well as I'd hoped. they didn't swarm her and go crazy, but they did approach her. I am also hopeful that when the time gets closer, letting them all in at once will help. I am a little concerned with incorporating my 4 month old rooster to the older hens and roo. That older roo seems to really dislike his presence. but I will have 10 hens to 2 roosters. Is that a good ratio? I think we are doing what we should be doing by allowing the safe visitations right now. Not to mention, the older hens require layer food while the younger ones should not be eating that now. Another good reason not to incorporate new ones until they are old enough to eat the same food! Good luck and keep me updated, sounds like we are in the same boat!

 

[aart]

Quote: 2 roos for ten hens is 1 too many. Pick your favorite and eat the other one.

You can feed a flock raiser feed to everyone and just offer oyster shells on the side....roos shouldn't be eating layer feed either really.
I feed Flock Raiser with 20% protein to everyone, males/females, young and old even chicks....oyster shell/crushed chicken egg shells in a separate container for the layers.
The higher protein is good for them and offsets the lower protein scratch mix they also get thrown into the run every afternoon.