Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Clucks and Quacks: Little Girls Ranging with the Big Girls

One of the tricky things about getting new chicks when you already have an established flock is introducing them to each other. Sometimes things don't go so smoothly...

but our big hens seem to be accepting the little ones.

Aren't our Welsummer chicks cute? I love the brown, gold and black markings. And it'll be fun to get their reddish brown eggs when they're bigger.


Free ranging can be a GREAT time to introduce new chickens to an established flock. 

So after a week or so of the Wellies protected by a large wired dog crate outside, we swung open the door and let them to explore. They headed to the flower garden while the big girls explored the dog crate and ate some spilled chick feed.


But soon ALL the girls were off and exploring, scratching and pecking...and, um, fertilizing the lawn. The big girls pecked at the little ones a few times, the little ones letting out high cheeps in response, but they're starting to establish pecking order (which is a REAL THING) and mingle as a new, bigger flock.


Our next hurdle? Well, we'll continue to let them free range together (under supervision) for a couple of weeks and then try having everyone hang out in the run together, ducks included. (The ducks really don't pay much mind to the the chickens, big OR little. :wink:)

5 comments:

  1. All the chickens are so pretty! I've noticed lately our Welsummer is getting gorgeous feathers. I can't wait to see her fully grown. I've never thought about integrating chicks while free ranging, but it seems like a great idea!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've heard that the best way it to just put the new chickens on the roost(s) at night, but we thought we could start BEFORE they were 18 weeks. So, free ranging after the safety of the crate seemed like the next step. The older hens don't seem to mind them much, and a couple of them seem to be protective of them. Yesterday the babies started squawking loudly and FLYING out of the run came Speckles sounding a LOUD warning, wings out, feathers puffed...but then she saw they were just fine and stopped short. LOL

      Delete
  2. Those are very pretty chickens. It's good to hear they get along so far. Sometimes I worry about it, but then again, I don't have to worry about it for some time yet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Rachel! We do have a variety of colors and patterns now. LOL Our Welsummer babies are almost 10-weeks-old now. 8 more weeks and they'll be in the run/coop full-time! By then I hope everyone is one big ol' happy flock-family!

      Delete
  3. Hi Jessy! I am finally back to take a peak at your site again - love the chicken pics! We finally got our six chicks and are really enjoying them at just over a week old in their brooder in the kitchen. Thank you for your advice and will let you know when our henhouse finally gets built. We figure we have some time...

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for reading! Please share your thoughts in the comment box. We love hearing from our visitors!