A great big giant HELP needed here!

[DianaMallory]

I think I am going to make them a safe haven inside the run but coop them together at night and see how that goes. Right now they are hiding in the coop and the big girls leave them alone like that. They are use to seeing them in the coop but not inside the run.

 

[Roxannemc]

In the learning center it said to put them in when they are 2 months old. That was the perfect age. The chicks are about half the size of my big girls.

I would take them out also until olderMy story......I put 3 babys in with some others a week or 2 older all 6- 9 weeks old. tmThe 3 huddled and didnt seem to be picked on but wouldnt come out of the coop or rarely and although i had food in and out they actually starved themelves i am pretty sure ...It went down to 30 but warmer in the 2 by 4 coop 15 babies and a light bulb for heat. but one died..The next day another was laying down almost dead i took them back inside under the heat lamp eyedrop fed both and in 2 hours they both were doing well.They ate for 3 dayssolid I didnt realize they had been starving i guess from fear Now they have their own coop and run.
They are nervous nellys anyway so will be longer before i mix them again if i do.
Use your own judgment.Every case and chick is different.

 

[DianaMallory]

okay I am done! I just fenced off a 1/4 of the run so the big girls can't get to them.But at 12 weeks old the fence comes down! They are still going to roost together at night. I will have to make sure I get out there and let them out in the morning! This is just way to much work! Next time around I get all my chicks at the same time!

 

[DianaMallory]

Oh thanks for all the advise!

 

[DianaMallory]

I would take them out also until olderMy story......I put 3 babys in with some others a week or 2 older all 6- 9 weeks old. tmThe 3 huddled and didnt seem to be picked on but wouldnt come out of the coop or rarely and although i had food in and out they actually starved themelves i am pretty sure ...It went down to 30 but warmer in the 2 by 4 coop 15 babies and a light bulb for heat. but one died..The next day another was laying down almost dead i took them back inside under the heat lamp eyedrop fed both and in 2 hours they both were doing well.They ate for 3 dayssolid I didnt realize they had been starving i guess from fear Now they have their own coop and run.
They are nervous nellys anyway so will be longer before i mix them again if i do.
Use your own judgment.Every case and chick is different.

My babies would not come out of the coop I tried putting them through the door and they freaked! I put fresh feed out for them and the big girls and gave them their water container. Everyone is eating and drinking again. And the big girls ain't happy!

But oh well!

 

[cortner1195]

I have had the same problem this year. We started 8 pullets. Of the 8, purchased locally, 3 were roos. My husband found some chicks on Craig's List. We picked up 6 of these to fill out our flock, and some friend's that had the same problem. Prior to leaving on vacation this last summer we needed to get the new ones in the coop to make it easier for the neighbors to care for them. They were fully feathered, and off heat, but about half the size of my big girls. I started about a week before leaving, bringing three of the chicks down to the main coop. The other three went to another owner. They were not attacked in the house, but when they went out into the run the big hens attacked. They eventually pinned the yongers under the house between the pier blocks and the fencing. I got them out and partitioned off the coop to give them one roost, and ground space. I did this with chicken wire so the big girls would get used to them. I kept this that way until the youngers were nearly the same size. I took the partition out. The yongers don't go into the run. They stay in the house during the day, and are first out when I open the door in the afternoon during free range time. The two remaining chicks stay together at all times. They are of laying age now, but have never mixed in. They roost separately, and stay to themselves. I am worried that they will never mix in, and always be attacked. They seem to have a victim's mindset now, and the big girls keep it going. One of the youngers (white) looks like a roo, but should be crowing by now. If I have to get rid of this roo, what will happen to my little buff hen? She will be completely alone. I believe that she is laying some. I think that if the white one is a roo, I will have to send them to a new home together.

I clearly made some huge error when I introduced the new ones. How can I avoid this in the future??

 

[DianaMallory]

Here they are are all happy to be away from the big girls!

 

[DianaMallory]

I have had the same problem this year. We started 8 pullets. Of the 8, purchased locally, 3 were roos. My husband found some chicks on Craig's List. We picked up 6 of these to fill out our flock, and some friend's that had the same problem. Prior to leaving on vacation this last summer we needed to get the new ones in the coop to make it easier for the neighbors to care for them. They were fully feathered, and off heat, but about half the size of my big girls. I started about a week before leaving, bringing three of the chicks down to the main coop. The other three went to another owner. They were not attacked in the house, but when they went out into the run the big hens attacked. They eventually pinned the yongers under the house between the pier blocks and the fencing. I got them out and partitioned off the coop to give them one roost, and ground space. I did this with chicken wire so the big girls would get used to them. I kept this that way until the youngers were nearly the same size. I took the partition out. The yongers don't go into the run. They stay in the house during the day, and are first out when I open the door in the afternoon during free range time. The two remaining chicks stay together at all times. They are of laying age now, but have never mixed in. They roost separately, and stay to themselves. I am worried that they will never mix in, and always be attacked. They seem to have a victim's mindset now, and the big girls keep it going. One of the youngers (white) looks like a roo, but should be crowing by now. If I have to get rid of this roo, what will happen to my little buff hen? She will be completely alone. I believe that she is laying some. I think that if the white one is a roo, I will have to send them to a new home together.

I clearly made some huge error when I introduced the new ones. How can I avoid this in the future??B



By getting all your chicks at the same time! Trust me it is a royal pain in the bum if you get them at different ages!

 

[Smoochie]

Wow I just went through this and I could not believe how mean the old hens were... Ruthless! No more new birds for us until out with the old and in with the new When they are a bit older some hiding spots are good to add. And lots of distractions (cabbage rolls, a old picture in the coop, a chandelier .. j/k) :/ Really mixing it up though for decor always helped me.. Throw some old logs in the run and a plastic crate or two.

 

[lynyrd]

i added at 6-8 wks put in sep wire x 1 week then opened so littles could run back if severe workin so far