Need help! Chicks ready to join older hens outside in coop....

azygous said:

If you provide shade and cool water, the chicks will be fine. You can begin acclimating them to the warm temps by cutting off any air conditioning to the room where you've been brooding them. Do that for two or three days, and then move them out.

You will see some stiff competition between the two age groups since they're close in age and size and they're all immature. Since the run is blessedly huge, get creative and break up the space. Make it so there are places for smaller birds to run behind and evade pursuers. Install those perches and stumps I described. I even have a swing in my run that the younger birds love to hop onto where the older ones won't reach them. Get a flock scratch block and you will have an additional interesting feature that can help decrease the focus on the newcomers.

The more interesting you can make your run, the more likely you will see a peaceful flock.

Click to expand...

azygous said:

A scratch block is a big cube of yummy seeds cemented into hardened molasses. You can usually find them at feed stores. My chickens peck away at theirs for hours on end. It's one of the best things to combat boredom.

Let us know how things go.

Click to expand...

e72071 said:

I've read through this post and I think I should be ok with integration based on what I've read. However I'd still like some advise.

I have 4 adult hens (about 4 years old) and 21 chicks we have been brooding indoors and are now 8 weeks old. We have expanded the coop and run (coop is 9x9 and run is 24x24). I am ready to move my chicks outside. They have not yet had any introduction to the other hens or the outdoors. They have been off heat for at least a month and I'm thinking because our older girls are so much older (and will be out numbered) there may not be too much trouble. This is my first experience so any advise is greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...