Integrating chicks into flock at 4 weeks old.

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ritzychickens said:
I am having an issue with getting my new chicks to go inside the chicken house. They want to sleep out in the run. How can I get them to go in the chicken house when the older hens run them out when they try to go in?
Click to expand...
Welcome to BYC!
Would probably be best to start a new thread here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/chicken-behaviors-and-egglaying.18/create-thread
Give all the details of the situation; ages of birds, size and pics of coop/run, how you integrated, etc. More people will see it and be able to give specific advise regarding your situation
 
Thanks for a great article @aart ! Lots of good ideas.

I'm integrating two cockerels and 2 pullets into my existing flock of 5 pullets. I got the littles at 1-2 weeks old and they were outside in their own coop and run at 3-4 weeks. There's been supervised visitation over the last month but tomorrow I'm making changes to their yard to provide hiding places. Hope to let the bigs and littles spend all day together with less supervision by this time next week.
 
If they have the space, things won't be too bad during the day. The "issues" come at the feeder and at roost time. Roost time is the worst since the older girls will chase the younger ones off. They'll end up sleeping in the nest boxes until they are big enough to fend for themselves.

That said, my now 25 week old chicks still have to spend a fair bit of time finding a new place every night because some of the older girls seem to take pleasure in pushing the younger ones around.
 
aart said:
The integration concept on this thread needs a common wall for the tiny doors,
and chicks need to be young so door can allow them egress but not the olders.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's what I'm thinking over, how to get that accomplished in my coop.

These chicks are 7 to 8 weeks, I was dreading having to wait so long to integrate and read this thread and your article. They've been with the bigs in the yard, only not for long without supervision right now. I leave them out just keep checking on them, so far so good. That's been going on for a month or so. Thought I was breaking the rules as usual.

Unfortunately I didn't see your article before we set up a temporary coop and run so now I'm in a dilemma.
 
My first set of girls are getting ready to turn 1, we made it thru the first winter. I am looking forward to adding to my flock shortly. My question is about feeding both the layers and the young chick's their different feeds after they have been integrated. How do you handle it?
 
Many of us switch to an all flock feed, sometimes for good. That way everyone gets good nutrition and the layers can get their additional calcium from oyster shell offered on the side.

Many laying hens prefer the taste of the higher protein feed anyway. There's no law that says you have to feed laying hens layer feed as long as they have access to oyster shell for their calcium needs. I even feed baby chicks the all flock feed since it's practically identical to chick starter.
 

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