" They will need some protection from the older birds until the older ones are used to their new coopmates. A wire dog crate works well for this, so long as they can't slip through the bars."
This is my problem. My girls came with a 4 by 4 house that they sleep in- and the house is attached to a 20 x 20 "run" (the chain link). I can keep the chicks in a dog crate in the run to get them all used to each other but then at night Id have to bring them back indoors since the actual coop isn't big enough for the crate plus the girls (I suppose technically it is but I don't have the ability to get the crate into the coop easily). It is on the ground and my knees don't cooperate to allow me that low. So I could put them out during the day when it is decent but would still need to bring them in at night. I thought about getting a rabbit hutch type shelter and putting it on the opposite side of the run and then moving two of my more docile hens in with the chicks and hope they all go in the hutch and close it up so the chicks cant leave but will the older girls be ok with that switch? How easily do they switch houses/roosts? Thank you for your help. I am slowly convincing myself adopting the adults from the shelter is a much better idea than chicks.
This is my problem. My girls came with a 4 by 4 house that they sleep in- and the house is attached to a 20 x 20 "run" (the chain link). I can keep the chicks in a dog crate in the run to get them all used to each other but then at night Id have to bring them back indoors since the actual coop isn't big enough for the crate plus the girls (I suppose technically it is but I don't have the ability to get the crate into the coop easily). It is on the ground and my knees don't cooperate to allow me that low. So I could put them out during the day when it is decent but would still need to bring them in at night. I thought about getting a rabbit hutch type shelter and putting it on the opposite side of the run and then moving two of my more docile hens in with the chicks and hope they all go in the hutch and close it up so the chicks cant leave but will the older girls be ok with that switch? How easily do they switch houses/roosts? Thank you for your help. I am slowly convincing myself adopting the adults from the shelter is a much better idea than chicks.