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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

No, they would be killed.
I have 3 groups(technically 4)...
A) the adult birds and rooster (5 hens, 1 rooster)---they are in the new
coop
B) the juniors, 8 free chicks that are now right at 6 weeks old, which I
moved from the greenhouse to the chicken tractor yesterday.  We modified
the tractor, adding plastic, some hay, and a light.  It was like 25 last
night and they survived all happy and chirpy this morning.
C) the chicks, which we won't officially count before they hatch
D) the eggs of soon to be chicks, of which there are 28. :)

Whatever chicks hatch will be kept inside the house for at least a week,
in a box with a light and some hay.  Assuming all is well, I will move
them to the cage in the greenhouse at one week, where they will still be
under lights for warmth.  The morning that we saw 16 here, it was 38 in
the greenhouse.  It is hard to keep it above freezing if there are
several nights in the teens, which is typical in winter.
After 4-6 weeks in the greenhouse(more time if fewer chicks, less if
more chicks), I will play "move the chickens" around Jan 1.
The new chicks will go to the chicken tractor(4x5), and the juniors will
go to the old coop(10x10).  In the spring, I separate roosters and will
allow all adult birds to unify by allowing them to range in the same
area, then coop them all together at night.

If you put birds of different sizes together, the big ones will pick on
and kill the little ones, unless there is a mother to protect them.  If
a hen is not broody, she is unlikely to foster/protect chicks not her
own, at least at this age in this season.

This is round 1 of chicks.  I am already collecting eggs for round 2 of
incubation, which, if I can get enough eggs, should start next weekend.
 As long as I have use of the incubator, I'm going to hatch as many as I
can.  If my girls stop laying, then I am dead in the water.   There's an
economy of scale here, it makes no sense to run the incubator(and then
lights) for a dozen eggs...at least, that is my break point, but I
haven't done the math on it.  I should.

Bev

bob ford wrote:
> So when they all hatch, do you take them to the coop for a chicken to
> watch?


--
“Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to
hate. Hate leads to suffering.”        Yoda