This is my first time getting baby chicks! They are now 6 weeks old...I can't believe how fast they grew!! They look like proper chickens now...just about 1/3 the size. They are in the spare room (there are 6 of them) and they are definitely outgrowing it!! I have 3 full grown chickens and 2 full grown ducks (my female duck is sitting on eggs so we will be having more ducks!) and was wondering when the new girls could be put in with the old? We have been putting them in a run that is next to the big girls' one on sunny days and they don't seem to be bothered by eachother but maybe that's because they don't have actual physical contact. Also, when can I start feeding them layer pellets? I have been feeding them the medicated chick feed but the sooner I can buy one feed for all the better! All advice is very appreciated!!!!!!!!! Tori
http://www.freewebs.com/professorchicken/timelineofachicken.htm I would have them outside in a run and coop yesterday. They'll be fine just keep a light in the coop for extra warmth. Introduce the new chicks to the old with a divider so they can't fight and let them get use to each other over the coarse of a week. Then let them mingle with supervision, theres going to be some pecking as they find their place in the flock. I got 5 week olds, with 1 week olds and a brood hen in the same house and run, they're getting along ok, even if the brood hen doesn't like the teens to much but she lets them in the coop at night so I'm happy. I thought I was going to have build another coop.
I would make sure that they can see eachother through a fence for about a week before introducing them to the group. As for the feed I give mine starter for the first 6-8 weeks then I mix starter with pellets so they get use to the pellets and eventually I switch over to just pellets between week 8-10.