Simple Method for Adding New Chickens to Flock
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- Опубликовано: 21 июл 2024
- Lisa Steele of Fresh Eggs Daily
Simple Method for Adding New Chickens to Flock:
www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2012/...
What to Feed a Mixed Flock:
www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2012/...
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I love how she says "Shoosh" and it actually works
Sometimes....
In my country my mother said shuish.
Have watched 1001 videos on this and no one else has mentioned the feed change issue- THANKS!
Oh well there's a lot of bad information out there sadly...that's a super important thing to do.
@@FreshEggsDaily If you represent Blue Seal and Kent nutrition, they are an absolute fantastic company and make the best dog food money can buy. Milk replacer and calf starters also. Just all round selection of top products.
@@coffeehugger I worked with them for years. I dont' any longer, but I agree with you.
@@FreshEggsDaily Somehow I thought this was a video promotion for Blue Seal. It should be! lol! It's a great video.
@@coffeehugger Oh it probably was, I made a bunch of videos for them years ago.
Thank you for sharing this.
One of the best sounds in the world is that of a hen singing after she's given a lovely egg! I mean, how else is she going to announce to the world that she went through a lot of work to give us breakfast?
I love my ladies...and my rooster too, I guess 🤭😉
LOL! Right!
Thanks for your video! I loved hearing the hens 😂 haha so cute
haha!
Also thanks a million for the info on the feed. I went to tractor supply and my local feed store and both places told me I need to keep the hen on layer and the babies on grower and figure it out. That has been very difficult. So glad you explained that. I need to remove the layer feed right away
Glad I could help. And yes, any time you have mixed age flocks, put them all on grower with oyster or egg shell on the side until the youngest are at least 18 weeks old.
Thanks for the tips. Love your beautiful, vocal chickens.
Thanks for watching!
What a fantastic helpful video.
Glad it was helpful!
I tried to hit the thumbs up button three times now, excellent video!
Wow, thanks!
Yes, thank you for the information on how to integrate the feed situation. It does take patience, but worth having a healthy flock :)
Oh you are very welcome.
Just seeing this!! thank you so much, I have 13 new girls I am going to have to add to the flock, They will be 8 weeks June 11th! I am in the process of putting up a separate coop and run that I got from tractor supply for them to get acquainted with the older girls. this is soooo much good info, thank you so much!!
You are very welcome !
Really great video and great advice. Thank you. I’m really lucky because I’ve had my first flock since Memorial Day 2023. I’ve been adding some to my flock. Your description of chickens killing each other is very true. So I got a starter coop which helped a lot. Then I had a hen go broody. We now have 14 chicks! They are 5 weeks old now. And I need to get them added. Just now learning how to make a flock block to help with adjusting. Treats are a big deal. I’ve been adding to the area with nesting houses and giving them 6 hours a day free roaming.
All sounds great!
My family has always inserted the new chickens into the coop on the roost after dark when the older chickens have roosted for the night. I remember my grandmother doing this and I have carried on this tradition without any problems for about 50 years now. Doesn't get any easier than that.
And I have heard horror stories from people who did that and their chickens killed the new additions. It's not fail-proof and an unnecessary risk IMO.
No way on any planet would my chickens go along with that. Have 20 right now trying to add in another 15, it is ugly. Night after night they are together through a fence, makes no difference.
@@coffeehugger exactly. That's just asking for a bloodbath.
@@FreshEggsDaily They are savages. I bet if they had the chance, they would eat those babies in there. And no reason for it because they have every possible resource, lots of room, food and water but they still hate those innocent little ones. "Patience is a virtue" when it comes to grouping chickens. lol!!
@@coffeehugger They absolutely would.. And anyone who doesn't take it seriously, is going to learn the hard way unfortunately.
This video was perfect timing! We have 1 year olds from last year and adding 7 new chicks this year. We've been trying to figure out the integration part and so far we've done free range time with a barrier on nice days. They're only 5 weeks now so we have some time still to keep exposing the 2 groups. Wish us luck on the integration!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for this video, good information! I am introducing a chicken that showed up randomly in a friends yard.😳. Anyway, don’t be offended but I laugh d so much about your girls wanting their time on the video m, they were so loud…it was hysterical!!!🤣 It was like the best blooper, so real and you handled it perfectly! Happy flocking!!! Jen💃🏻
Glad it was helpful!
That was hilarious. Of course they had to outshout you. Too funny. Thanks for the info. :)
Right?!
I have been doing the night integration for 3 years and it works fine. No problems at all. However they are in a starter coop next to the run of the main coop for a couple weeks first.
As long as they are getting used to each other behind fencing, that should work.
Very helpful information! Thank you! I have 3 that I will be integrating soon. I imagine the same applies for ducks (?), as I also have 4 ducks I will be adding. I already have 4 ducks.
Also, I notice a lot of runs have the flags as in the video. Just curious...is there a certain reason or just for decorative purposes? Whatever reason I like them and wonder where I can purchase them 😊
Oh thank you. Didn’t realize that on the feed. I have put my new girl inside a wire kennel with food snd water. Inside the chicken house. The other chickens can walk all around them. Hoping this is a good option. This is our second day and so far so good. I keep watching the new ones for stress. But they seem ok.
I meant to say girls.
Perfect setup!
Im the only guy where I work right now... this also applies to women in the workplace. 🤣 all seriousness great video
LOL!
Loved the information. TY. I have only 2 chicks that I'm needing to integrate to my small flock of 7 who are a little over a year old. Any additional advice? Mine do not free range d/t ordinances but do have a 16x16 covered run. TY for your advice.Take care.
Yes, here you go.
www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2012/04/adding-to-established-flock-pullet.html
I really enjoy the your videos. So helpful. We have a really skinny hen. She's not gained an ounce in at least 6 months. Is this normal for some hens?
Not really. I would have a fecal sample done to check for worms or internal parasites.
Thank you so much for this... it is the only video I have found that talks about grower/layer feed and was exactly what I was wondering about. Quick question about the egg/oyster shells: How much and how do you keep the newbies from eating the shells? Will they just not eat them because they don't need the calcium or are you feeding them separately at some point?
They won't eat them. That's why I always put the calcium in a separate dish. The young ones won't touch them.
That was a great question.
My babies get moved to an outdoor run at full feathers, inside separate. 30 days later still in outdoor run, but now in baby box coop outside at night. 30 days later, as older chickens have seen them about the yard in their mobile run for at least 60 days, they are let loose inside the enclosed run, see how everyone reacts. If it’s smooth sailing, baby coop and run are retired til next spring.
Nice!
We have some chicks and are working on acclimating them to our older seramas. We know size is important and the chicks are about the same size now. We have a separate section. We are supervising and slowing introducing. The smaller bossy serama is establishing her dominance but not hurting them. Is this ok? 🤔
Yes they have to work out their differences.
thank you! i never considered that the layer feed might be bad for my roosters... what should i feed them? grower?
No. Unless you plan on separating him every meal time... he's fine on layer feed. Just serve the crushed oyster or eggshells separately.
@@FreshEggsDaily wait so my roosters are fine to eat layer crumbles?
Sure. It's really the only practical thing to do. Realistically, chickens aren't going to live long enough to develop kidney issues from eating layer feed as adults. Just be sure to never mix in any additional calcium supplement into the feed. Always serve it up separately.
Thank you so much for this. I had one hen that is 9 months old and just added 6 baby chicks that are 11 weeks old today. I've been free ranging then together for past 2 weeks and have the coop separated at night. The hen relentlessly pecks at them the moment I let them out. Before I incorporated them I introduced them through fence with the babies in a dog crate for 2 days. I don't know what else to do. I need to remove the barrier in the coop eventually but I'm afraid she'll kill them all. She killed another baby chick when she was much younger
Take the bully out for a few days.www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2018/05/handling-bully-in-your-chicken-flock.html
@@FreshEggsDaily I tried that but she was relentless. I ended up rehoming her.
We just added an extension to our run giving them all a lot more space. Currently the five 13 week old pullets are in it so they are spending a lot of time with the four hens. I’ve been letting them forage for a few weeks waiting some them to get bigger.
One of them is still not quite as big as the smallest hen so I’m thinking to wait another week.
At what age do you put them together in the coop? I’ve heard anywhere from 8 weeks (too young) to 16 weeks. Maybe 14 is good.
I think anywhere after 10 to 12 weeks, as long as they have a week or two behind fencing to get acclimated.
@@FreshEggsDaily Maybe that's the thing... they need a little more time behind fencing. It's been a while now but maybe they just need more. I have added them to the same coop but then separate them during the day into their side-by-side pens. It's sure a heck of a process.
What do you do when you only have the coop and a few feet of run? I am struggling. It was on as soon as they encountered one another, 3 against 3! Currently, they are in a separate cage within the run that takes up about half of the space I feed them right next to each other so they have to be close to eat. It's been about a week. How long should I wait? I thought to put on old hen into another larger cage with the new 3 until they work things out, then change hens? Thought to give the new hens the whole run at night and let the old hens out in the morning? Any suggestions welcomed.
If you have one of those small starter coops, you can put that right up against the run. Do you free range your chickens at all? I'm guessing yes since your run is so small. Let the older out to free range and put the new ones in the run.
My chicks are now 6 weeks old. I put the hen and her eggs in the starter coop when she went in lockdown. The starter coop is in the middle of the big run, so the other two older ones have seen them since birth. The mama did a great job raising them. I tried letting the mama hen out with the other two Easter eggers and they jumped on her first thing, even though they were all together before the babies were born.
So do I try to continue to put mama with the other two and leave the babies in the small coop till there older. I don’t want any of them to get hurt. We made them a longer run attached to the small coop.
I told my two other older Easter eggers I’d reverse the process and let mama and babies have the big coop, while they stay in the smaller coop awhile. Lol.
What your thoughts. Thank you.
Yes because she's been off raising chicks she lost her place in the pecking order. I would keep them separate (mom with babies) and let her concentrate on raising her chicks for a few weeks.
I added 5 to my flock and immediately the older ones started to peck on them. They are same size though. So I left the new ones and changed the oldest meaner one to another olace and they are getting along. Tried to put the oldest back with no luck. So I removed the oldest again. Oh well... she has company in her other spot. But they stopped laying all at once. I used to get 8 eggs a day now barely one :( I guess they still stressed. Its been 2 weeks...
Oh definitely the stress. They'll start back up again. Hopefully soon.
Hi what about introducing ducks to the chicken flock? will the Chickens pick on the Ducks?
No the ducks can hold their own surprisingly well.www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2020/04/adding-ducks-to-your-backyard-chicken.html
HI Lisa, I have a small flock of 5 hens 1 rooster. I've watched my rooster break up quarrels between my hens. Will a rooster prevent aggressive bullying towards new hens or do they not interfere in pecking order establishment?
Yes the rooster should help keep the peace.
Had no idea. That's amazing have had roosters for years and this year I culled them all out. Maybe keeping one is a good idea.
I've got 3 barred rocks and 1 easter egger. One of the barred rocks is pecking all the neck feathers of the easter egger, and she hasn't laid for 3 days. Is she traumatized from being pecked? How do I resolve this?
I also am wanting to add 3 more pullets this summer. Are there some breeds that integrate better than others? Not sure how this will go with the other pecking problem I'm having.
Barred rocks can be aggressive. I like the orpington family. They are generally docile and "play nice'.
How can i buy authentic good quality eggs for brid from Bangladesh?
Hi Lisa, is there a point when you realise that it may not be working? I have 2 Pekin bantams who are 11 months old and I’ve been slowly trying to introduce 2 (now 18 week old) more pekins. One of the older girls is fine with the newbies but the other one is such a bully, pulling feathers out of one of the younger girls and chasing them all over the run. Any advice would be great! Thanks!
Meant to add that I’ve had the new girls since they were 12 weeks...
Well its mating season which can make things more difficult, but yes sometimes someone just won't play nice and maybe rehoming one or the other might make sense. Often a bully will be perfectly well behaved in a different environment.
I see you have a lot of big hens which is what I want. We have a big boy Rooster. Lol! What kind are your big hens?
We have australorps, lavender orpingtons and Marans. They are all pretty big breeds.
I got mine to about 8 weeks old inside. Then I put their cage inside the run and kept them isolated another 4 weeks or so. I had one bully chicken, but she seems to have mellowed out. Fortunately I have my back yard closed in and there is plenty of space for them to separate. Currently they are running like two flocks of 3. My only problem now is the bully chicken wouldn't let them come into the coop from the run at night and I had to put a saw horse in the run and they are currently sleeping on the saw horse and the older hens in the coop. How do I get them transitioned to the coop if the hen has scared them off of going into the coop at night? Will they just naturally merge into one flock and join the older hens in the coop at night?
I agree about hens being really loud too
🤣
I would carry them in after dark, but it might take awhile for them to feel secure enough to go in on their own.
@@FreshEggsDaily Actually just this week they started going into the coop. They aren't roosting with the hens, but they huddle up together on the floor, so great progress. I'm very happy.
@YeshuaIsMyKing79823 okay yes! That's a good start.
I was told today that chickens do not like the round purches they like the square ones is that true?
Yes. Chickens don't sleep with their feet wrapped around the perch like wild birds. They prefer to sleep flat footed. I use a 2x4 with the wide side up.
How to integrate new babies (3-5 weeks) with 12-13 week olds... they are crazy but I need everyone to have peace, while I care for the little ones Inside I try to allow the older ones to see the thru their run, my biggest girl turned into a tetridactyl and pecked me and everyone that didn't allow her to get to the chick. I don't forsee integration, but I'm trying thru the run/ fence it's been 5 weeks and they STILL go crazy
Usually if chicks are within about 5 weeks of each other, they'll integrate more easily... just keep trying. They'll eventually get along.
My chicks are noisy too...just crazy!
They're so bad sometimes!
These people wanna shoot videos inside chicken pens but dont like dealing with their noise. Good grace!!!! Shoot your video away from the noise!!! 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♀️
Gee, thanks for the tip. People like seeing my chickens and ducks....so, we deal with the ambient noise.
@@FreshEggsDaily Exactly, viewers want to experience the chickens and their noise . Stop complaining about the noise, it's annoying!! I rather hear the animals' noises all day long than having to listen to people complaining and whining about it. It happens in all the videos I watch.
@@annuitcptis3032 Yes, agreed. Some people just like to complain.