Easy integration???

[chickmom3941]

Hi, just looking for some opinions here. We are presently brooding 8 chicks in our house (some 5 weeks old, some 6 weeks old), so they are nearly ready to go out to the coop. We have two adult hens, who are the only ones who survived a predator attack that killed all the other hens. Of course, we will section off the coop so that the young ones can be seen by the adults, but not touched (harassed). We're planning on keeping them separated for at least a month or so, till the little ones get closer to adult size, and just play it by ear when we feel that we can actually integrate the babies and the adults (I don't want the babies going out free-ranging in the yard till they are much bigger). I'm just thinking that perhaps the integration may go a little easier since the 2 adult hens are probably a bit lonely or longing to be part of an actual flock again, rather than just the 2 of them. So my question is, do you think that the hens will accept the younger chickens more readily because right now there's only the 2 of them, and they may be more welcoming to the young ones because it will make them part of a flock again??? (Note - they're in for a big surprise, also, because one of the babies is going to be a rooster - something they have not experienced before. He's going to be handsome, too - a Welsummer rooster! lol)

 

[Doc7]

It will be fine.

I integrate at 16-19 days of age and they free range several hours per day with the flock starting at 28 days old. My 7 week olds are more adventurous than the hens, they tend to go 15-20 yards into the forest (200 acres property to my west) whereas the hens only stay out in the yard.

Here is a 3 week old in with my hens on the left side

And two more are in there with the 4 7 week olds in the right side

 

[rosemarythyme]

Truly easy integration is to do it when they're younger and smaller, like Doc 7 showed above.

Yours are getting close to the point that it might not be possible to take advantage of their tiny size to integrate, but you could still try it. Several articles on here about early integration, here's mine: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/short-on-time-recycle-a-prefab-brooder.73985/ Key factors for success are having a lot of obstacles/clutter, and providing a safe space that only chicks can access.