when can you put the chicks with the hens?

[what did I do]

are you sure with such a size difference they won't get pecked to death? i had a bantie sultan that i slowly introduced to the others and she still gets picked on, and i could imagine what the hens would do to them being ten times bigger than them.


(p.s., and should i still have a heat lamp for them at this age?)

I have added chicks that age to my coop without incident. I did add branches to give them a place to hide. I think I put them up for night for a few days just so they wouldn't get picked on while the coop was closed after sunup (at 4 am.) .

I have chicks that age right now. I'm turning the heat off during the day to get them used to the folder temps. Our temperatures have been 30° F or lower and we have lots of snow. As soon as I get the light off I will be introducing them to the old coop by putting them in a wire chage for a few days. Then I will turn them out into the coop for the day but put them up at night. When they look settled I will remove the cages. If it was warmer right now they would be in the coop.

I have many more chickens so I might take a bigger risk than you would.

 

[and-roo]

today they got out into the hens' run and did fine. the hens new they were there, but didn't care, they just ignored them. should i put them together now and see what happens? ... if anyone is there.

what is a "Trader Joe's Leghorn", What Did I Do?

 

[what did I do]

I would let them range together for another day before putting them together. You mostlikely won't have any problems but I know of some people who lost chicks by putting them together too soon.

A Trader Joe Leghorn was hatched out of eggs bought at a Trader Joe's grocery store from Caiifornia I brought 4 dz eggs back while on vacation with me from TJ. Everything that could have gone wrong with those eggs happened and still 7 hatched. A TJ leghorn has a great big comb! They are more yellow as chicks but grow into very white adult birds. It is the comb that is so striking. I'll take a picture of him today.

 

[debid]

I'd suggest introducing under close supervision and watching how they get along before you decide how to proceed.

I'm housing the chicks within sight of the adult flock and then letting them be together outdoors (where the little ones can run away easily). I have 5 hens that are very tolerant and easy going and one that wants to establish her seniority by chasing and pecking hard. She hasn't pulled feathers or drawn blood but the chicks are learning which adult they should steer clear of and which ones don't mind them scratching in their space. It's feeling like it could be a long process with that one hen but I feel a great sense of relief that I have accommodations that will last as long as this takes. She's pretty low in the order and I have noticed that the more confident hens are the least bothered by the chicks. If they all reacted like the other five, I'd move them in as soon as they ventured into the henhouse (they've been as close as looking in the door). As it is, I'm waiting for grumpy hen to relax a bit.

 

[tcmstalcup]

I put my fully feathered babies in the bottom of the coop late at night. Mine seem to do well when they just wake up and there are new friends. I do have a gate across the end of the run with 4x4 openings. I put food and water behind it so babies have a safe place to go and eat.

 

[kjgarrard]

I put my chicks outside at 6 weeks in a large dog cage at night (plastic variety with cage front) in the coop. The older chickens were interested in them and wary of them, as well. I let them out to free range under VERY CLOSE SUPERVISION the next day with the older hens and my rooster ( all of which are a year old). The rooster was interested. He did his "herding" thing to them like he does with his hens (stomping a foot and thrumming his wing), but stopped when he got next to them. He just looked at them and then walked back to his older hens. On the other hand, my chicken on the lowest pecking order (Delilah) acted more defensive. She actually jumped on one and tore a chunk of feathers out. I quickly gathered the chicks and put them in the run and shut them off from the older batch. Just for the record, I have 7 hens and a rooster and 8 chicks (all pullets). Anyway, I figured that I needed to let older group get used to the sight, smell, and...well, their presence before trying that again. That was a week and 3 days ago. I let them out again yesterday supervised. The older group weren't interested except Delilah, who promptly tried having her way with them again. The other chickens will even let them eat in the same area and are more tolerant of them before they get after them. So, they will stay in the dog kennel in the coop until I feel better, and I will have to dedicate more time to sit out with them so they can free range with the older chickens before I leave them unattended.

Just a note, my husband went to a chicken swap because a friend wanted layers without raising them, and he ran into a farmer friend who said that it was necessary to let them out with the older chickens so that they do establish a pecking order. He said to keep an eye on them, but to let them go out together. Also, he said that the chicks will have places to run for protection from the dominant hens. He said that the new pecking order will have to be established anyway, and that it is unlikely that a chick will be killed.

His words, not mine. I do see logic in this, but I know that my Delilah is a mean little bugger!

I hope this helps! I think that I might try a version of this advice today...

Good luck

Cheers

 

[what did I do]

I put my chicks out in the coop a few days ago. The first night went as planned. The second morning all the chicks were mixed in with the chickens. I just left them. I did put a low board in front of the door to keep them in the coop. All is well. I suppose they will be outside of the coop today. I hope they go in tonight.

 

[and-roo]

same with me kjgarrard. my buff orp hen is the biggest hen, but on the bottom of the pecking order and she hated having the chicks there even though they couldn't get to each other. she would try to peck at them through the fence, but luckily when they got out into the big hens run the buff orp had just gone broody, so she probably didn't even know they were there. my nieghbors just put there chicks with there hens and their chicks are about 5 weeks older then mine and they said it's gottin pretty dirty. but of course they didn't have time to see each other or get used to each other, they just put them together so i think it will be fine if i put mine together in about 4 weeks/ a month.

 

[debid]

I had a hen go into the dust bath with the chicks today. They gave her room and she left them to their task. It was terrific until grumpy happened along. She had no interest in a dust bath but she didn't like that the chicks were in the area the adults use. They took off as soon as she charged and she watched but didn't pursue. Baby steps.

 

[Phoenixxx]

I just bought 8 chicks a week ago. I'm not sure of their age, though; the lady I bought them off of said they were 4 weeks? The smallest is still mostly down but has flight feathers and no tail yet; the middle five have downy necks and bellies but feathers on their backs and tails; and the two big ones are twice the size of the others, with the only baby down left on them being under the chins and on their bums. Anybody know how old they are? And I'm seeing everything from 3 months and up being good ages to put them in with the big ones...

I have my babies out in the yard in a converted rabbit hutch (I removed the floor) over the course of every day. When I let the main flock out for free-ranging, they'll go visit the babies but aren't overly interested in them. Although, one hen did hang out with me and watched the babies with me, almost like she was feeling some kind of mothering instinct or something Does this mean that, once the overnight temps go up and they don't need to come in the house, I can let them move into the big coop sooner?