The Poultry Keeper

Sylvia · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:28 am Post subject: integrating chicks into flock

My 4 incubator raised chicks are now 6 weeks old, for the past couple of days I have put them in a pen in the main chicken run for the day and then taken them back to their pen in the shed.

When do I let them loose into the main run and chicken coop?

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1267 Location: Correze

I'd give them a bit longer yet. If they were with a broody, she'd defend them - but "alone" (even though there are 4 of them), I'd prefer to leave it until at least 10 weeks if you can.

How do the others react to the little ones being in their pen inside the main run? Maybe try a short supervised time in the main run during the day and see what happens?

mojo · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:07 pm Post subject:

mine go in a seperate cage in the main run for about 10 days then one dark night after they are all asleep i steal in and put the yougsters into the main coop and by next morning they all come out together..................i dont think chickens can count!!!!!

CP · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:27 pm Post subject:

Our 2 are 12 weeks & we just put them in the coop one evening. There has been a little squabbling but nothing major. They have been within view of the others for several weeks beforehand too, which helps. Wink

Sylvia · Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 7:56 am Post subject:

Thank you all for your replies, I will keep making the trip with them each day from shed to run for the next week or two and then put them in the coop one night when I go to put them to bed. The other birds don't seem to be that interested in them, they are more interested in trying to pinch their food.

chickens rock your sox · Joined: 22 Jun 2008 Posts: 131 Location: Kildare-Ireland

My white leghorn chicks are now 6weeks old, but since they've been about 4 or 5 weeks old they have been able to run in and out of their divider we put up through a hole we made(which can be easily patched up)which is just big enough for them to run in and out of. The rest of the flock don't even take notice of them except for our brahma chick which is roughly the same age. They seem to go around together, even though the brahma is with a broody bantam!! Very Happy

Sylvia · Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:36 am Post subject:

The decision was taken out of my hands yesterday.
I don't know how they did it but two of them escaped from the cage and were in with the big ones when I went down to check them yesterday lunchtime and they were getting on fine, no sign of bullying so I let the others out to great cheeps of delight. Checked them a couple of times during the afternoon and they were fine and they even put themselves to bed in the coop.
I can clean out and sterilise the brooder now and be ready for the next lot.

CP · Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:59 am Post subject:

That's good! Very Happy

JC · Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 1103 Location: Sussex

fantastic!