SuperChemicalGirl
Attractive To Bees
My two cents...
I throw out 5-6 week old chicks into the coop with their full grown coop mates - winter included. They do fine. It's absolutely warm enough for your 4 week old chick to be introduced to the coop now. I'd get a cage or build one out of scrap to separate her from the rest of the flock. What I do is keep the cage in the run in the shade, and move her in and out at night so she can roost with them. Do this for 3 days or so then let her run around, but watch. There will be some minor pecking and chasing, but I've not had major issues with integration, whether I use the cage option or not. If I'm throwing in a bunch of chicks, I don't bother with the cage. But one new chick, and everyone will focus their attentions on her so a cage is best.
That being said, depending on how this chick was raised you may want to quarantine it from the rest of your flock and not throw it right in. If you do that I do urge you to get it a friend, whether you end up selling the friend later or not. I had to raise my speckled sussex alone in her own brooder because she had a broken leg when she arrived at my house and was getting pecked and trampled in the regular brooder. She's never acted like a real chicken, is a total space cadet, and follows me around like a dog. She's sweeter than sweet, full of personality, and I wouldn't trade her for the world. But I do wish that I didn't have to keep an eye on her because she just wanders away from the rest of the flock, will follow me to the road... tries to sneak into the house, screams for me at the fence line, and will stand (even in the pouring rain) at the fence staring into the kitchen window at me (it's kinda creepy!).
By the way, I think my girl has laid about 5 eggs total in her life. She's not ever broody, just doesn't lay.
I throw out 5-6 week old chicks into the coop with their full grown coop mates - winter included. They do fine. It's absolutely warm enough for your 4 week old chick to be introduced to the coop now. I'd get a cage or build one out of scrap to separate her from the rest of the flock. What I do is keep the cage in the run in the shade, and move her in and out at night so she can roost with them. Do this for 3 days or so then let her run around, but watch. There will be some minor pecking and chasing, but I've not had major issues with integration, whether I use the cage option or not. If I'm throwing in a bunch of chicks, I don't bother with the cage. But one new chick, and everyone will focus their attentions on her so a cage is best.
That being said, depending on how this chick was raised you may want to quarantine it from the rest of your flock and not throw it right in. If you do that I do urge you to get it a friend, whether you end up selling the friend later or not. I had to raise my speckled sussex alone in her own brooder because she had a broken leg when she arrived at my house and was getting pecked and trampled in the regular brooder. She's never acted like a real chicken, is a total space cadet, and follows me around like a dog. She's sweeter than sweet, full of personality, and I wouldn't trade her for the world. But I do wish that I didn't have to keep an eye on her because she just wanders away from the rest of the flock, will follow me to the road... tries to sneak into the house, screams for me at the fence line, and will stand (even in the pouring rain) at the fence staring into the kitchen window at me (it's kinda creepy!).
By the way, I think my girl has laid about 5 eggs total in her life. She's not ever broody, just doesn't lay.
