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Best age to introduce chicks to other chickens? #824305

Asked April 03, 2023, 11:11 AM EDT

We have two pens of laying hens with one soon to be culled out for age & lack of laying. We were never successful at penning the two batches together. Now we have a new batch of 6 chickens about a month old inside a heated garage until time to move outside to chicken barn. We would like to be able to pen together eventually once older hens are removed but need suggestions on age of chicks and how to not have them attacked by two year old hens still laying? Thank you in advance for your advice?

Oceana County Michigan

Expert Response

Ideally the chicks should be 8 weeks or more old before transferring to a "get to know you area". This can be done by having the new birds in their own section inside the current pen, by having them in their own coop where the older hens can see and hear them. The first mixing should be done in the evening, when all are settling down and watch for signs of aggression. A pecking order will gradually establish itself but watch for drawn blood. That signals the dominant hens to peck those area way too much. My chickens have two nearly side by side and the newbies are kept in one and since my girls are free range during the day. curiosity wins the day and they soon intermingle. Patience is necessary.
Patricia Patterson Replied April 05, 2023, 4:48 PM EDT

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