When to integrate chicks into existing flock??

[libertygal]

Hi there - new to this whole chicken thing (about a year ago or so). We have 3 year old hens and one rooster and 5 chicks (several different breeds). The older chickens are free range and we have had the chicks about 6 weeks or so, they are fully feathered and have been outside in the "yard" of the coop, seperated from the big guys for about 2 weeks. Just last week we started letting them in and out of the coop and so far, have not had any issues with pecking or aggressive behavior from the rooster or hens.

On to a different problem. Being new to this chicken thang, I am not quite sure of the breeds of my older hens. I think I have on brown leghorn and 2 black sex links. Since we let the chicks start living in the yard of the coop with shelter, the brown leghorn has become what I think is broody and either doesn't want to leave the coop or can't b/c of the rooster. The big white rooster attacks/mounts her whenever she leaves the safety of the coop and often times is in there with her during the day. Meanwhile the other 2 adult hens simply wander about happily. The rooster seems to hang with them earlier in the day, but in the afternoon is all about the other gal. He doesn't seem to pay much attention to the chicks. One of the hens is now not laying, so I have no idea about what to do!

Shouldn't the rooster be protecting the entire group and shepherding them around? Any suggestions??? I really appreciate any thoughts.

 

[Joker69377]

Thank You for your advise and experiences.

I have been bringing in the chicks at night, but they are just too big for the rubbermaid tote I have been using. I would keep them in the large indoor dog crate, but my Schipperke (sp) must be contained when I leave the house so I have to keep it clean.
I will start leaving the lil girls out at night starting this weekend. I am building a mini house for them with the heat lamp, and am increasing their run by another 6 ft. I only need the lamp for another week or so at night.
We are going to try supervised visits with the babies in with the hens for an hour or so each day starting next weekend. I firmly believe the more they "hang out" together, the better things will be. I am going to make some "hidy holes" and things for them to get waya from the hens. But again, we will be in the coop with them during these breaking in periods.

 

[karl E lutz]

Quote:
My roosters are just mean to the hens I don't think that there is a such thing as chicken chivalry!

 

[Diannastarr]

HI JOKER69377 if its a place for your chicks you need , we got a really nice mesh inclosed play pen FROM GOOD WILL for like $5.00 that was the best thing ever , but i put a sheet over the top,when they were in my kitchen at night because they began to fly....lol..

& in fact we raised bunnies in that play pen after the chicks grew up, i have been looking all over for older Colombian wyandott chicks , and found 4 week old Colombian wyandotts and can get 4 to 6 of them for around $39.00 thats including shipping from mc murry hatchery , i wanted older chicks, and would do just what you are doing with them , would bring them in at night , and I think that maybe putting the chicks were the others can see them but cant be in with them unsupervised , until they are just as big as the other hens...LOL.... i feel that would be best , otherwise i would sit with them like you are doing and see what transpires between them all, but still not leave them alone with the older hens until we know for sure it is truly safe for them & that might not be until they grow UP & are just as big as the other girls...lol.... we have 7 silver laced wyandotts & 7 others that are 3 new Hampshire reds the 4th one turned out to be a rooster & 4 barred rocks all my hens are just a year old , the mixed group were mean to the wyandotts, so they have been separated in the coop at night, but still all go out together in the day, since we did that they get along a lot better thank goodness, I have to say that we LOVE love the giant eggs





Bowls of bunnies.....lol...

eggs from our new Hampshire reds...! but our wynadotts have been laying all winter and produce many more eggs then the larger hens of the same age , and if any one wanted chickens for eggs and then plan on eating them dont get wyandotts they are not large birds not meat birds in my estimation, they produce the same size eggs as a bird the size of a barred rock and eat less , so thats why they are my favorites , plus they are also easy keepers, calm & very friendly, well so i think im getting the older Colombian wyandotts at murry mc murrys ...?? at least i hope so , im still thinking about it.. ?but ive been really wanting to get me some Colombian wyandotts just because they are sooo pretty..

........lol......

take care all

 

[Diannastarr]

Many people have posted replies to this question saying that the chicks should be nearly the same size as the hens before integrating them. The older birds can kill small young birds.

I don't have first hand experience with this yet. I am going to try integrating my new flock with the existing flock when the chicks are about 18 weeks old. For now I have the run divided in half with poultry wire. The chicks (now 6 - 9 weeks old) are in their own new coop and using 1/2 of the run. The 1 year old flock is using their coop and the other 1/2 of the run.

Colombian wyandotts such a beautiful bird, , i cant wait to see them all feathered out and beautiful ....lol.... I was worried about this same issue and feel its better to have the new ones the same SIZE as the existing flock in the past i had the flock all at once , never had to add any new younger hens , to add into my existing flock but if it was me , which will happen soon , i would give them all lots of room to run away from any mean old hens.....lol..... or what ever....lol... and gosh im the first one to stop any meanness i see , unfairness really gets to me , and i will stand out side for how ever long it takes to make any agression stop because that is not fair and not going to happen under my watch ,i will make sure that every one is OK, but here is a story about my new chicks , i love observing my animals its a good way to learn & i always knew that chickens are smart way beyond what most people think of them , so the day our SLW came to my kitchen door , all are one year in June , i had the screen open so they could hear the babies peeping in my kitchen , and i showed them their new SLW boy we ordered for them with our CW group from my pet chicken , and they were all just so fascinated by him

they all stood so very still just watching him and making little happy chicken noises

...lol.....like they knew he belonged to them .....lol.... and strangely all the chicks in the brooder all stopped and stood very still & all looking up & listing to my hens chattering away through the open screen door...lol... how interesting to see that kind of reaction from both groups and goodness how intelligent days old chicks really are, its amazing to say the least , so sad they cant have a real mommy hen to raise them this time , it sure seems like they want one , but sadly not this time, so sorry little ones , well maybe some day soon the next batch of chicks will all have good momma hen to love & care for them & keep them warm & safe...lol......lol.... im an old framer from new England and had my hens raise all the chicks , but now its me playing mama hen , and trying to do it as well as a real hen does .....lol.... which seem impossible........lol......so im on chick duty till further notice....lol..

...

up every night checking on them and all day long checking them , but i have to say its all so very interesting to see how they are all so smart, since only last year we bought silver laced wyandotts i always loved them ,we got them from a feed store and now theses new Colombian wyandotts from a hatchery which i was very concerned to ever do that at all.....lol...sending babies through the mail...? gosh thats scary to me .....lol.... but if it was not for a nice lady on this group Nancy, that help by encouraging me ,i guess i would not have my Colombian wyandotts at all...? but so yeah i did it, and I ordered them & im soooo glad, & now spending time every day with my new peeps up close and learning how they think, & feel , never did that before since my hens didn't like some one around the chicks.....lol.. so i just left them be, to do their thing , but now i have a good chance to observe these tiny peeps , its so amazing is all i can say , seeing how they learn so fast ,even with out a mama and all on their own , my little roos i have 2, they go out front of the girls and act like they are protecting them, so with every noise they are up looking around the brooder just like a miniature flock already.....lol.... with the males on duty , but i have found another interesting thing happening , the entire group will eat at the feeding area, i keep them on paper towels and use poop patches , until i take it all away at night and replace it with all new , keeping them as clean as possible , but its strange to see them all doing the same.. keeping their brooder as clean as they can, since they all poop on one end and eat in on the opposite side of the brooder, and their sleeping area is inbetween and its clean and poop free....lol..... gosh how did they, just days old chicks figure that out...? so wow thats amazing to see, & learing things about chick Behavior every day is such fun .maybe i should take notes...??? Well take care all, hope every one is well and doing good best regards Dianna

 

[Cinmerri]

I have a bantam that hatched out four red star chicks July 1 (who are now bigger than she is!) and 16 in the brooder that are three weeks old. Having a mama hen seems to make a difference as she will come to the defense of her chicks. Thanks for all the info on integrating... not sure how long I can keep the babies in the brooder space wise.

 

[Aftonranch2011]

We got a few chicks and two ducklings about three weeks ago from a feed store. I'd estimate they are about 4-5 weeks old...We also have three adult hens that free range in our backyard most of the day. I've been letting the chicks and ducklings come outside with me on warm days while I'm doing chores. They follow me around and have interacted with the older hens with absolutely no problems so far. I've put food down and they've all eaten--the adults leave them alone and if anything the hens seem a little nervous about the chicks and ducks but not aggressive. Has anyone tried introducing them so early and what results have you had? I just keep thinking that if I keep introducing them daily especially while they are young, they should've have a problem with each other when I move the chicks to the coop permanently. Thoughts?

 

[MeringueManor]

I have not found anything telling me when to integrate my chicks into my small flock of 3 hens. My  Araucana's, 6 of them, are around 3 1/2 weeks old. They are starting to feather. For the past 2 weeks, I have been putting the chicks in the coop, in a fenced off section, with my 3 black sex link hens. at first there was peck attacks through the fence when the chicks got close, but now they are left alone. I put them out first thing in the A.M. and bring them in around dinner. I was thinking of giving a SUPERVISED trial run around five weeks old. Is that too soon? I would also like to move them to the coop permanently around the same time. Is that too soon?