Help Introducing Babies to Existing Flock

[countrygirl86]

My babies are a little over a month old. I recently moved them from their brooder into a pen inside the main coop. They have been there for a few days. I wanted them to learn that the coop is home and let my older girls get used to them.

They are quickly outgrowing their pen. My older girls free range all day and I am worried once I do let the babies out they may not return like the big girls do. My older girls were contained in the coop/run for months before we started letting them free range.

So my question is, what would be the best way to introduce them? Should I just let them out? If so at what age? Should I keep the whole flock shut in the coop/run? Would that create more tension since the older girls are used to being out?

I am just a bit nervous since we are going about it differently this time. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I do it the same way, I let them stay in the pen about a week than I start letting them out, the first days I make sure I check on them throughout the day, they will stay close at first, but will slowly expand their range, mine can really travel, I round mine up every night until I get tired of it or they put themselves away, your older birds should mostly ignore them with occasional pecks to remind them who is boss, never had any trouble, best way to integrate new kids.

 

[CaseyV]

I'm currently in the same process, I have 4 month olds I'm integrating. I kept my little ones locked in the brooder in the coop for 2 weeks with the big birds staying locked in also. Starting yesterday, I let my big birds out to free range first and then about 15 mins later I go open the brooder door for my little ones. They can come and go in their brooder as they please and have plenty of yard to get away from the big birds if they start picking on them. Hopefully someone can elaborate more.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Emma Miriam]

How old is your main flock? If your older birds are full grown, 1 month old seems rather early to me to fully introduce them...I think I've heard that ideally you should wait until they're half the size of the older birds. I personally would give them 1.5 - 2 weeks in their pen, which will allow them to grow a bit bigger, get used to the coop as their home, and let the older birds get used to them.

If they're outgrowing the little pen, could you bring them outside in a little chicken wire enclosure, set up near the coop, during the day? Or, in the afternoon after the older girls are done laying, you could close the pop door and give your Littles some time to explore the whole coop while the Bigs are outside.

As long as the chicks are kept in the coop for a week, they should return at night. They may, however, start sleeping in the nest boxes...if that happens, try closing off the nest boxes for the night.

Hope that helps!

Edited to add: I also heard a great idea that can help with integration! Your Littles, sine they're much smaller, can fit through openings the Bigs can't. When you start integration, perhaps you could give the Littles a refuge like that? That way they can flee from any aggresion, and have a safe place to go. Hope that makes sense...

 

[countrygirl86]

My main flock is almost a year and a half. I do have a small chicken wire pen in the yard that we use for the bunnies so the kids can sit with them. I may try that but I think I will quickly tire of carrying 12 chicks in and out every day lol! Closing the littles in the run after the big girls have all gone out may be an option but that is also safety for them. They can get under the coop to hide from overhead predators and like to hang out there on really hot days. I appreciate all of the suggestions. I will give it a few weeks while the littles are still in their pen. May have to try a few things to see what works best.