# What age to introduce chicks to flock/coop



## Keith

At what age do you introduce chicks to the flock/coop and take them out of the brooder?


----------



## chickenman18

I let mine run with the flock at about 12 weeks old.
I take all of my chicks out of the brooder at 6 - 8 weeks old depending on the weather.
I put the chicks out of the brooder into a run and hut so the older chickens can see all of chicks.
Hope this helped


----------



## cogburn

In brooder until 6 weeks, then outside into an outside pen up off the ground (3'high x 8'long x 2'deep) originally a rabbit hutch I built, it's attached to laying hens coop. Hardware cloth floor so all poop falls clear and not a big mess its all wood and wire construction with a tin roof, Plenty of room to run and start to use their wings, at 10 weeks they are turned loose to free range with the "big girls" and they go back to roost in the outside pen/coop each night, they mingle on their own with the big girls, and no one bullys them they eat from the same feeder, and run around the yard and garden just like the big chicks, they do tend to stick together in small groups of 6-10, and everyone gets along. I have 68 chicks from 20 weeks down to 12 weeks old right now, plus 10 layin hens. Thats just what I do, with the set up I have... I think depending on the set up, just find what works for you.


----------



## piglett

cogburn said:


> In brooder until 6 weeks, then outside into an outside pen up off the ground (3'high x 8'long x 2'deep) originally a rabbit hutch I built, it's attached to laying hens coop. Hardware cloth floor so all poop falls clear and not a big mess its all wood and wire construction with a tin roof, Plenty of room to run and start to use their wings, at 10 weeks they are turned loose to free range with the "big girls" and they go back to roost in the outside pen/coop each night, they mingle on their own with the big girls, and no one bullys them they eat from the same feeder, and run around the yard and garden just like the big chicks, they do tend to stick together in small groups of 6-10, and everyone gets along. I have 68 chicks from 20 weeks down to 12 weeks old right now, plus 10 layin hens. Thats just what I do, with the set up I have... I think depending on the set up, just find what works for you.


wow that's a boat load of chicks you got there LOL
do you buy them or hatch out your own ??


----------



## cogburn

The pullets (22) are in a coop/run, 25 were game chickens and they now free range full time and roost in a big cedar tree in the backyard at night, the rest were cockerels and are also running loose.. I haven't hatched myself in years, I inherited these from an elderly man in bad health, we hatched them out in his bator and I took them all as day olds.. With fingers crossed I'd get some hens out of them.. And I did. So egg forecast next spring looks promising... I'll stick with what I have for now, I just posted pics of them as chix and at 5 months...

FREE !! Is always good right?

Here's the outside brooder pen. Ex-rabbit hutch


----------



## piglett

nice looking group ))


----------



## xxisabellaxx

Mine 4 new girls are 3 months and we started the introduction process by setting up a closed in run outside where our older girls could see them. Last week was the first time they spent the night in the coop and they're doing just fine. I think it is better to wait a little while so they can build up there immune systems.

here's my little girls(bottom) with my cornish hen (top):


----------



## hollyosborn

ok so im the oddball again.. my new babies were introduced in their outside cage yesterday (huge bird cage i can move in and out of the house)... babies are a week old.. as for the last hatchers, born august 12th... they were in the coop with the grown ups at 5 wks old.. they free range with all the others, run from the cats, dog and swooping birds... ive sold 5 of my pullets out of that bunch so only have 3 left... sunday they will be 7 wks old


----------

