when is the best time to introduce various age chicks?

[thegibbys]

Ok so here is the situation........


We have 30 adult chickens on the farm in the country, 4 one month olds in a small coop here at home, and 6+???? hatching out today.


So, our long term goal is to keep 10-12 here at home and grow or flock at the farm to 100 or so.

So, any suggestions on how to combine the different age groups???? We plan to hatch out 25 or so every month until we have reached our goal. should we slow our hatching? or speed it up, can the 1 month olds be in the same coop as the babies or do they need to be kept apart? what age is ok to mix?



Our kids have gotten pretty attached to the 4 here at our home, I dont think they or my kids realize they are chickens. LOL

 

[ChicksterJo]

I have only had this experience recently and I only have 7 chickens in this integration, but I waited 3 weeks to let the 7 chickens start roaming together. I had three Marans in a cage in the older chickens' run. They could see each other but they could not do much to each other (maybe a little peck now and then). The three younger ones are about a month younger, so they are not that much different in age. I have 5 2 week olds in a brooder and I will do the slow integration method again. Let them see each other for a few weeks so they get used to each other. Also, I would suggest that when you do the integration just have enough space for everyone to move and flap around...at least there was ALOT of flapping when I let my three chicks free today! Good luck!

 

[thegibbys]

so far we have 4 1 months olds and 19 hatch today and 6 more pipping.

we have 13 of the babies dry and in the brooder, so we brought one of the 1 month olds in, put her in the brooder and watched her very closely, they followed heer around and pecked at everything she pecked at, drank after she drank. it was too cute, I dont know if she just didnt notice but she dint get mean or anything, she did stepp on them but after a few minutes they just got out of her way. so I dont know exactly how it is gonna go, but that seem to go well today..... so much to learn.....

 

[giefdog]

I have had a rough couple days, I have 5 redsexlinks, my turken Roo was taken out 2 days ago by ??? now the (5) old ladys think they own the place, meanwhile the roo kept peace with 20, 12 wk old turkens , and 6 Americana's and the old lady's its been tuff on the kid's amn I miss the red neck.