When to increase flock size

[chick'n'weave]

Hello,
I am in the planning process of getting into the chicken business. I am still in the prep stage of fencing, shelter building, etc. I'd like to start out with 4-6 egg layers, but would want to add more later to total around 12 or so. But everything I read says the old and the young will fight. So how do you increase flock size w/out waiting for them to die off or become chicken dinners before new ones are added?

chick'n'weave

 

[RockyPhoenix]

if done correctly they shouldnt fight....my hens differ in age from 2.5 to 1 year old and it started like this

14 orpingtons
then next spring i added:
6 bantam phoenixes
1 silver laced wyandotte
1 new hampshire red
2 rhode island reds
2 australorps
and one more buff orpington

seeing as most of them are calm breeds everything went over smoothly!
just make sure there is room to run away for them and everything should be okay!

sure hope that helped!

 

[HEChicken]

I've never heard of old and young fighting. What you may have heard is that the old (as in existing) flock will not immediately accept the new birds. There will be a period of integration, during which they will have to haggle out a new pecking order. When I integrated my initial flock of 7 with my 3 new teen chicks, the new ones were not initially accepted. As my flock free-ranges, it wasn't a big problem, but the two "flocks" free-ranged independent of one another. They all slept in the same coop at night without any undue squabbling. It was really not until after I had culled the 4 roosters from my original flock of 7, that the 3 remaining hens integrated with the 3 younger girls to form a new flock of 6, which is how it stands today. All told, it was about 3 months until there was true integration. However there was no actual fighting. As I said, the flocks kept themselves apart and only occasionally met at the feeder or waterer. As long as the new girls deferred to the original flock (in other words, waited to eat until they were done), there was no problem.

 

[chick'n'weave]

Rocky,
Thanks for your advice. Did you get your new ones as mail-order chicks? That's what I hope to do. I read that you have to keep the chicks separate from older hens for about 8 weeks until they get their feathers. Does that sound right?

 

[RedfogsFlock]

We have chicks from a week old, to pullets that are 8 months old, and a roo that we have no idea how old he is. If done correctly there will be a little pecking order going on, but nothing to major. Currently we have


1 8 month old hen

1 7 month old hen

2 6 month old hens

1 3 month roo

3 3 month old RIR & silky

3 2 month old EE & duck

Now all of these girls are running loose together free ranging, and in the same coop at night. No fighting, no fuss & no muss!

We also have one roo in his own pen, and two runner ducks that run with everyone, they are over a year old.

Hope this helps!

 

[RockyPhoenix]

yea that sounds about right all of them except the phoenixes were mail order! the phoenixes i put in about 3 weeks after they hatched with their momma back in the big flock...she protected them but i doubt id do it again....tooo many hens now....but yea once they have feathers and some endurance id mix em!