8 Week Chicks

[Afterburner]

A local farm has some eight week chicks for sale for a very reasonable price. My main flock is down to three elderly hens, thus I was thinking of purchasing three pullets from this local farmer and putting them into my small a-frame starter coop. My questions are as follows:

1) At what age can these pullets be integrated with the older ladies?

2) At the moment, the pullets are on medicated chick feed. At what age can they be transferred off the chick feed to either flock grazer or layer feed?

3)My remaining flock are two Amerucanas and one Russian Orloff. I plan on purchasing a pair of Barred Rocks and maybe a Wyndotte or a Hatchery Rode Island Red. Generally, has anybody had issues integrating newer flock members into EE?

 

[rosemarythyme]

1) Any time after quarantine (if you're doing that) and/or a see but no touch integration period (which it sounds like that's what the a-frame is for?)

2) Now, if using flock raiser, once they start laying, if using layer. I assume the farm has all the birds outside? Or are the younger birds for sale kept in some sort of confined indoor area? Asking to see if they've actually been exposed to outside dirt and such, as medicated feed (presuming it's for coccidiosis) does nothing if they're not exposed to it.

3) Shouldn't be issues, though all birds are individuals and will behave however they will. Having ample space as well as multiple feeders spread out and plenty of clutter to provide enrichment and break line of sight will help.

 

[Afterburner]

1) Any time after quarantine (if you're doing that) and/or a see but no touch integration period (which it sounds like that's what the a-frame is for?)

2) Now, if using flock raiser, once they start laying, if using layer. I assume the farm has all the birds outside? Or are the younger birds for sale kept in some sort of confined indoor area? Asking to see if they've actually been exposed to outside dirt and such, as medicated feed (presuming it's for coccidiosis) does nothing if they're not exposed to it.

3) Shouldn't be issues, though all birds are individuals and will behave however they will. Having ample space as well as multiple feeders spread out and plenty of clutter to provide enrichment and break line of sight will help.

1) Yes, the A-frame has wire mesh, so lots of seeing time. Plus, I will let them into a corral protected by hardware cloth which should allow maximum interaction time without actual touching. I was going to use a 30 day period in the chicken regardless for quarantine time.

2) Yes, the birds are kept in a chicken tractor and spend all day outside and then go upstairs for the nigh.