When to mix the New w/the Old

[PhenixJiRa]

Hi!
I have 2 barred Plymouth Rock and 2 black star hens at 16 months of age. In April I’m thinking to add 2-4 more and plan to start at the chick age (so in a brooder).

Toying with getting bantam but not sure if they will integrate well.

If I get chicks, at what age do I mix them with the older hens?

Would it be different if they are standard or bantam?

I only have the one coop so do I need to get a smaller one to house the new hens until they are old enough to go with the others?

And finally, would it be easier to just get pullets and if so, what age should they be and would it be the 30 days separated from the hens?

I know that’s a lot… trying to do it the best and easiest way.

 

[Yardmom]

You will find that the questions your asking are done in a variety of ways. Personally I figure the younger the better. That way the chicks are not viewed as a threat for older birds. I do this by putting a fenced off corner with heat in the coop. After a week or so I lift a few spots of the fence so chicks can go in and out, but the adults can't.

 

[Mrs. K]

That is what I do too - somewhere around 3-4 weeks, but as stated above, they need protections and hideouts. A pallet up on rocks just a few inches from the ground can be escaped to from any direction. A safety zone where they can eat without the big girls getting any. And wind protection.

At 3-4 weeks - in temperatures above 35, I don't add heat. But they have an insulated huddle box or wooly hen they can get into.

Chicks do not need to be quarantined, but older pullets should be.

MRs K

 

[PhenixJiRa]

That is what I do too - somewhere around 3-4 weeks, but as stated above, they need protections and hideouts. A pallet up on rocks just a few inches from the ground can be escaped to from any direction. A safety zone where they can eat without the big girls getting any. And wind protection.

At 3-4 weeks - in temperatures above 35, I don't add heat. But they have an insulated huddle box or wooly hen they can get into.

Chicks do not need to be quarantined, but older pullets should be.

MRs K

I have a coop and run combo. The coop box sits on stilts and the hens can walk under it. There isn’t enough room in the box where they sleep and lay eggs to put the chicks and also have the hens.

Perhaps I could somehow block off the portion under the box that is on the ground. Maybe chicken wire so they can’t get to each other but still see each other.

That space is 4’x4’. I could set up a dog carrier or some other box so they can sleep and be warm.

Does this seem like a possible plan?

 

[aart]

That space is 4’x4’.

You need a bigger coop before you add more birds.
You could plan on a separate area inside to accommodate integrating chicks.
Many keepers have found that integrating young is the best way to go,
tho it does take some extra work(well worth it) ahead of time.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[PhenixJiRa]

You need a bigger coop before you add more birds.
You could plan on a separate area inside to accommodate integrating chicks.
Many keepers have found that integrating young is the best way to go,
tho it does take some extra work(well worth it) ahead of time.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

Thanks Aart
Here is a picture of my coop before we added the attached 6’ x 10’ kennel. The chickens have 40 ft.² in this coop’s outdoor run and then 60 ft.² in the kennel.

The box where they sleep is 4’ x 4’. Inside the box are two perch areas and my current four hens only use one of them. That’s why I was thinking I could add another three or four to sleep on the other perch. They do not stay in there for any extended time. Do you think this is still too small for nighttime perching?

The space under that box is where I was thinking of creating a “fenced” off area for the chicks to live until they’re old enough to join the others.

Thank you for the link! I will go through that as well.

 

[aart]

Do you think this is still too small for nighttime perching?

Might work fine for the 4 you have now, but adding new birds is best with more space than that.

Where do they go during extreme weather?

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[PhenixJiRa]

Might work fine for the 4 you have now, but adding new birds is best with more space than that.

Where do they go during extreme weather?

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 3372742

Added. I’m in SW Idaho.

I use heavy duty clear plastic around certain areas which protects from rain and wind in the winter. They go to those areas if it’s nasty out. They never go into the box other than to sleep or lay. I’ve thought about having a shed for a coop instead for them to go but this is the coop I found when I started out.

I have much more outdoor space for them now than pictured here but the indoor space for sleeping is just that box.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thanks Aart
Here is a picture of my coop before we added the attached 6’ x 10’ kennel. The chickens have 40 ft.² in this coop’s outdoor run and then 60 ft.² in the kennel.

The box where they sleep is 4’ x 4’. Inside the box are two perch areas and my current four hens only use one of them. That’s why I was thinking I could add another three or four to sleep on the other perch. They do not stay in there for any extended time. Do you think this is still too small for nighttime perching?

Yes it's too small overall and the coop does not have nearly enough ventilation for 6-8 birds. It's recommended to have (per bird) 1 sq ft in ventilation 24/7, 1 linear ft on roost, 4 sq ft in floor space, inside the coop. In the run, you're wanting 10 sq ft per bird minimum, however I'd recommend more like 15-20 sq ft for a small flock, and that's post integration. You will always need more room for integration so you can add clutter and provide birds with get aways from bullying situations.

You can try converting the entire thing into a coop (just to specify, the "box they sleep in" = coop, any fenced in open space = run) but your run (kennel?) needs to be expanded as well.

To turn it from 2 small "boxes" (tiny coop above tiny run) into 1 bigger "box" you'll want to remove as much of the inside coop wall as possible, plus the floor. Take out the old roosts too.

Nests might be able to stay as is, or may need to be relocated elsewhere or replaced - depends on the structure of the coop and how things inside stack up once done.

Run a new roost(s) lengthwise or widthwise across the newly open space, depending on how much roost is needed. Ideally you’d like 12” per bird but 10” can suffice in many cases.

Board up some of the external wire walls so that the roost area is protected from winds and rain. Do NOT fully cover up all the wire, you need ventilation and natural light, so at the very least a few inches under the roofline should remain open. If your climate allows for it, you can leave entire walls open with just the mesh, or make it convertible for the season by covering up open walls for winter, and then uncovering for summer.

Example of a modified prefab: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

 

[PhenixJiRa]

Yes it's too small overall and the coop does not have nearly enough ventilation for 6-8 birds. It's recommended to have (per bird) 1 sq ft in ventilation 24/7, 1 linear ft on roost, 4 sq ft in floor space, inside the coop. In the run, you're wanting 10 sq ft per bird minimum, however I'd recommend more like 15-20 sq ft for a small flock, and that's post integration. You will always need more room for integration so you can add clutter and provide birds with get aways from bullying situations.

You can try converting the entire thing into a coop (just to specify, the "box they sleep in" = coop, any fenced in open space = run) but your run (kennel?) needs to be expanded as well.

To turn it from 2 small "boxes" (tiny coop above tiny run) into 1 bigger "box" you'll want to remove as much of the inside coop wall as possible, plus the floor. Take out the old roosts too.

Nests might be able to stay as is, or may need to be relocated elsewhere or replaced - depends on the structure of the coop and how things inside stack up once done.

Run a new roost(s) lengthwise or widthwise across the newly open space, depending on how much roost is needed. Ideally you’d like 12” per bird but 10” can suffice in many cases.

Board up some of the external wire walls so that the roost area is protected from winds and rain. Do NOT fully cover up all the wire, you need ventilation and natural light, so at the very least a few inches under the roofline should remain open. If your climate allows for it, you can leave entire walls open with just the mesh, or make it convertible for the season by covering up open walls for winter, and then uncovering for summer.

Example of a modified prefab: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

I love this idea!
The other day, I was looking at it thinking “wouldn’t it be nice if the whole thing was the enclosed coop”.
My other option is to buy a shed and replace the coop but if I can modify it, that would be better. The coop does come apart into two separate sections.
It would be a little different than the one you linked, since the roofline is not the same height from the box to the run.
Thank you so much for commenting because this gives me some serious things to think about and I might be able to get it done in time to get chicks this year.