Where to put my hatched chicks??

[Newchickenguy]

Ok so I plan on hatching approx 10-12 chicks inside my house in an incubator. My plan is process these chickens for food when they are at the right age. If I have a rooster and 4 hens inside my one and only coop, where do I put these chicks to bring them to a butchering age??

1.If I put them in the coop will the adults kill them?

2. Should I build a second coop to raise these chicks until there butchering age?

3. If I put them inside a coop to them selves and the grow up toghter will the males kill one another over the females or will I have butchered them before they begin to fight. I intend on butcheing around 18-20wks.

Thanks so much

 

[sumi]

First of all you'll need a brooder to keep them in for the first few weeks until they are strong enough to go out in the cold. After that I think you should keep them separate from your older chickens. They are almost guaranteed to beat up the little ones, especially at feeding time. Best thing would be to either build them a separate coop or divide your existing coop up so they can be kept separate.

 

[Newchickenguy]

Hmm I may just get more materials to build a second coop so the adults wont kill them. Will the baby chicks grow up togehter without killing one another. Like will I have to build a seperate coop for the male chicks and one for the female chicks, or will they be ok togheter if I plan on buthcering them around 18wks anyway.

Thanks

 

[sumi]

Once the roosters are sexually mature they will very likely start fighting each other, but if you're planning on butchering them young it shouldn't be a problem. Or not for long anyway!

 

[stevetone]

I have seen a little "coop within a coop" for young pullets and cockerels be successful. The opening to this "box" is smaller so that only the littler ones could get in and out--the mature hens/cocks were too big to enter.

This gave them a place to escape the inevitable bullying.

And yeah, depending on your climate and setup, they will be in a brooder for 3-6 weeks anyway. But those broilers grow pretty fast!