3. Chicks should be integrated - nobody wants henhouse drama, and taking a few simple steps to
introduce new birds to old will save a great deal of time and potential injuries. These steps include
having a “get acquainted” phase when the new and old birds are in separate, but attached areas so
they can interact without aggressiveness. You also want to do the coop consolidation at night so that
the old and new flock wake up together to help minimize bullying. At this point, it is also important
to remember if you have youngsters joining your existing flock to only feed chick starter to all birds
until the youngest bird is 16 weeks. The extra calcium in regular layer feed can harm young chicks.
4. Chicks should be eating treats and grit - it's a great idea to get your birds used to eating treats
(if you plan to offer them) a few days prior to putting them outside. That way, you can use the treats
in case you need to lure the birds into a secure space at night. Until they are used to thinking of the
coop as “home base,” they may need just a bit of encouragement. Just remember, if you start feeding treats (offer no more than 10-15% of the total diet), you also need to offer grit free choice to aid
in digestion.
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