when can they be socialized with the others... hen or rooster...

[bazjo]

well now 4 weeks old and looking more like a chicken than a chick now ....... when can I introduce little Nando to the others ??? can they hurt her ???
and can they eat just Top layer mash from about 8 weeks (17%) that is not medicated ??? can they eat scraps ??? Now ???
still thinking it is a leghorn ........????
thanks : )

 

[Judy]

It's usually recommended that the chicks grow out to adult size before attempting integration. Yes, there is a definite possibility they will kill her while she is this much smaller. I've read of people integrating successfully, though. When I use broodies to raise chicks, they are in with the flock from day one. I don't know whether the chick is old enough to eat layer yet -- I've never fed it before around 20 weeks. There is an easy solution, though. I just feed unmedicated grower to everyone when there are young chickens in the flock. It's no problem for the laying hens, though they will need extra calcium, but I usually keep oyster shell out, anyway. Actually, you could feed medicated grower to the laying hens, if the medication is amprolium, according to Purina:

http://poultry.purinamills.com/ASKTHEEXPERTS/FAQs/ECMD007942.aspx

And here is a good writeup on integration, although obviously the quarantine info does not apply here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I agree. In medicated feed the medication is amprollium which is in the Starter or Starter/Grower and helps in the chicks development in their resistance to cocci. It is sulfa based. I feed it to the birds until I get my first egg then I switch over to Layer. If I have any medicated Starter/Grower or Grower left over when I get my first egg, I mix in the leftover feed with the Layer feed. There is only a problem eating the eggs layed by the pullets that have had the medicated feed when they start to lay if you have any allergies to Sulfa

 

[bazjo]

I have heard that feeding the medicated chick starter to mum and chick is okay ....... it too is not good for humans as it can affect human fertility if the eggs are consumed ???? I know there is a with holding period of 14 days ...... I have a problem as our chooks are going to be looked after for a month at a place there already is a few chooks and they eat the eggs .They are doing me a favour of taking my chooks and helping me out the baby will be 8 weeks old then ........ I have separated my 2 that lay here from mum and chick and they eat the chick starter and the others eat top layer mash I have shell grit in the cage always separate to their food ............ mum and chick get a treat of cous cous and mixed with a little top layer mash in the morning only a small amount and I let mum out to eat other things too ....... the chick hasn`t been with the rest of the chooks and one of ours is a bit pecky at Mum and mum peacky with another .... my ultimate aim is to have the chick on normal food and intergrated with the others by the time it is 8 weeks old so they can go to the person looking after my chooks and eat and lay and not sure when mum will start laying again as long as it is 2 weeks after she goes to the farm the eggs can be eaten ........ now I know I want it all to work out can any one see any issues or am I been way too ambitious ???

 

[partsRheavy]

Ive been socializing some 8-10-week-olds with adults. They have been introduced to the flock IN GROUPS (not one at a time).

I've been giving treats and plenty of non-medicated chick starter during the integration period.

The intro is going OK. Minor squabbles but nothing really bad. Everyone is forming their own little clique (by breed....).

 

[azygous]

Chicks always integrate more successfully when they are in a unit of at least four, I've found.

However, they all manage to cope with the larger, older adults if given safe refuges. I cut smaller pop holes in all the fences so the small fry can't get cornered and bullied. I put up a temporary panic room, an enclosure where the big ones can't follow, where the babies can eat in peace and enjoy safety without being bullied. They're very quick to learn to navigate all the little pop holes to evade the bullies.

 

[Jeffross1968]

I just integrated 3 8 week old chicks to my 10 full grown hens and 1 roo. There was some initial pecking and chasing...still is a bit. But I had free ranged them together for a couple weeks, and before that they were in a small coop/run for a week where the big ones could see them during the day.

Tonight, for the first time I saw one of them roosting under it's mother's wing. Really cute. The other 2 are still huddled in a corner at night...