One Hundred Dollars a Month

Last night The Girl Who Thinks She’s a Bird and I introduced our 3 baby cochin chicks to the older chickens. People have said introducing new chickens into your existing flock can be kind of tricky, but this year it was ridiculously easy for us. In years past we have placed the younger chickens in a fence off area alongside the chicken run for a few days so the birds could get acquainted, but this year we decided to do something a little different.

Lucy our puggle dog outgrew her pet fence weeks ago, so we took the 3 foot high fence outside and set it up within the chicken run around 2 pm. We placed our 3 blue cochin chicks inside the fenced area along with their food and water so the other chickens could get a good look at them.

Our older birds don’t even flinch when lucy the puggle dog runs up to the coop anymore, so we figured they probably wouldn’t bat an eye if a couple of puff balls joined their clan.

Maroon, one of our Rhode Island Red hens immediately took to them. She hunkered down next to the fence and stayed their for a good 3 hours. We weren’t sure if she wanted first dibs on the chicks or if her motherly instincts set in and she was just watching over them.

Around 6pm we brought the 8 week old chicks out one at a time. Nothing happened. It was business as usual around the coop. The older chickens didn’t care one bit.

Except Maroon of course, she followed the chicks around like a mamma hen.

Once the chicks had moved away from their food and water, the older chickens moved in and had themselves a little feast. At nightfall once all the older hens had gone into the coop to roost for the night, my daughter picked up the baby chicks and placed them inside the coop in the nesting boxes.

This morning when she opened the doors, the chickens and the 8 week old chicks all came out. Business as usual. Talk about an easy transition.

I don’t know about you, but I love it when there is no drama. Ha!

Do you have chickens?  What has your experience with introducing new chickens into you existing flock been?

~Mavis

If you would like to learn more about raising chickens and all the fun and excitement it brings… Check out The Joy of Keeping Chickens By Jennifer Megyesi. It will tell you everything you need to know.