chicken questions

[SuzanneS]

i haven't ever had new chickens to mix in with the old, but as i have only two hens and a rooster, i got new chicks this year. they are two months old now, and i don't remember how early the roosters start crowing. if we have any in this bunch of 8, they will be dinner soon...also, how long do i need to wait before putting them in with the older chickens? i am kind of afraid to stick them in there without knowing if there are any roo's, thinking that my big old roo will destroy them. so the questions are: how soon can i stick them all together? how old are the roo''s before they will start crowing? or is there another way to tell them apart? i got 4 from a local feed store and 4 from my neighbor so i have a mix. thank you!!

[Mary]

Hi Suzanne, If you have an area where you can allow them to range side by side with a good fence none will hop over for a few days so they become accustom to each other that would be a good start. Next best would be to allow the older chickens and chicks to range together in a large area during the day for a few days. Watch out for the adult birds pecking on the young ones. Continue to keep them separate at night until they have accepted each other's presence without a lot of pecking order behavior. Then you can try mixing them in the roosting area at night. I am presently doing this with different hatching of chicks from these adults. The setting hens have gone back to the flock and it is slow integrating the young ones (13) into the flock of older birds (24). With fewer birds it may be easier...no promises. I let the chicks out to free range ahead of the older chicks. My hen house has two rooms I can block access between them. Chicks in one room to roost and hens in other room. I turn chicks outside early. Then the hens have both rooms and after time for them to eat and drink...30minutes to 2 hours I let them outside, too. Outside they are getting along fine. In the hen house there is still a bit of pecking order behavior from the hens. We are nearing a week of this arrangement. On the occasions the chicks have gotten in with the hens they get pecked a lot. Just takes time with gradual steps.

Check the tail feathers of the young ones. At this age you may find some have significantly longer tail feathers. If you can definitely observe this you will most likely find the ones with the long tail feathers are pullets. The cockerels could start crowing anytime now up to 5 or 6 months old. Three to six months is more common. Some of them may be sporting brighter and bigger comes and wattles already than the pullets. At this age the older rooster probably won't bother the cockerels more than the pullets.

Maybe others have some other ways they have been successful with mixing young and older birds together. Good luck and let us know how this works out for you.

[Evy]

Mixing: Make it simple...when the young ones are nearly of an equal size, simply put them on the roosts between the older birds at night. They usually wake up accepted. If there's picking, remove the picked-on bird & try again in a few days.

Sexing: Depending on breed, the cockerals combs are usually more evident, even as chicks. In all breeds, the hackle feathers on a cockeral are pointed, on a pullet they're rounded.

[Mary]

Evy, I had observed the hackle feathers are that way but had not connected it into sexing. Thank you.

[jungle]

Whenever I have integrated new birds into the flock I did so during the day. I tried a couple times at night but never had any better luck that way. There is almost inevitably chasing and pecking but it normally lasts only a few days or so. Watch for blood as that is too much aggression and the birds will need to be seperated. I have never had birds get that bad except for caged Dutch bantams. Those hens are insane little things. As Evy suggested, the cockerels can be picked out with the lerger combs and wattles.

[katschicks]

I have never had birds get that bad except for caged Dutch bantams. Those hens are insane little things.

Maybe you should have bigger cages for those "insane little things" before you add a hen or pullet. In my caged breeder pens I have never had a problem adding a hen or pullet. Guess I have been lucky Huh ? Rog

[jungle]

Guess you have Rog. Dunno, every other breeder of Dutch that I know seems to find the same thing- Dutch hens can be extremely aggressive with each other. Of course, for some reason, you have a serious problem with me and my Dutch so I really don't care what yout think of my pens or birds. You are exactly the type of person I refer to in the thread about everyone quitting. Don't miss the petty BS one bit.