Integrating chicks into flock at 4 weeks old.

[rosemarythyme]

They still get pecked and bit and chased, but there's been no blood drawn. I'm considering adding more feeders. I've a flock of 7 and only 4 feeders and the bigs are even pecking and biting each other in the morning right now. I think food pressure might have something to do with it. Or the bigs are working out their pecking order as they get close to point of lay. I can definitely tell who the bottom chicken is now, but I'm still not sure who the matriarch is.

If they're approaching point of lay they're probably at their most "difficult" right now, due to hormones. So the good news is once the older ones start laying, they may calm down a bit as far as pecking order scuffles and food guarding.

 

[chickfused]

We're probably 2-4 weeks out from first egg based on what I'm seeing. Although I keep hearing the egg song and...it's my silly roo. (I guess the egg song is really "Hey, where is everyone??" since he's been lost every time I've seen him doing it.)

BTW, thanks to everyone for recommending this method. It really is easier than keeping everyone seperate for 4 months.

 

[chickfused]

Well, an update on this. Of my batch of 7 littles, only four survived to adulthood. One died nearly straightaway after arrival. Lost one to a persistent coccidia infection that just never seemed to go away, and I think she got predated during a period of weakness. Saw her sick in the morning, went out to treat her 2 hours later and she was gone, never to be seen again. And another met a copperhead snake and took a peck at it. Last thing she ever did.

But the 4 that are left are amazing ladies, and they're all 21 weeks or so at this point. The flocks never did fully integrate, but the roos are starting to show these ladies The Wing and they will eat together and stuff now. They still run from the bigs and give them a wide berth, but it's just respect really. One of the littles fights back when the bigs come after her on the roost. It's full on pecking order jostling. I think the little is going to eventually win honestly, she's very scrappy!

 

[azygous]

Thanks for updating. We do love hearing how things turn out.

 

[CKfarm22]

Wasn't sure where to put this, thought it might do the most good here in the chick forum.
Yes, you can integrate your little fluff balls at a much younger age than you might think.

Prior thinking was to wait until chicks were at least 8 weeks old or of a size almost equal to the older birds,
so they would have a 'fighting' chance against the usual aggressive rejection of new birds by an established flock.
It has come to pass that many folks are now finding that integrating much younger is easier for all involved.

One thing has stayed the same tho, the new birds are kept in a 'see but no touch' adjacent pen for a few weeks prior to allowing physical contact.
This allows everyone to get used to seeing and hearing each other without having to share physical space and feed/water.

Here's a couple of key reasons why it works:
Tiny chicks are less of threat to the older birds and their resources(space, food, water).
Tiny chicks are a small target for pecking and fast as all get out - so harder to 'catch'.

For easier composition/editing/linking I wrote and illustrated with pics how I integrate chicks in an 'article' found here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old
Post any questions here in this thread as I don't get notifications of comments made on articles.

When you let the chicks outside for the first time, we’re they in a smaller run then the older birds but like in a the same run if that makes sense. Did you have a smaller run in your bigger run for the chicks? Sorry if you said that part in the article

 

[aart]

When you let the chicks outside for the first time, we’re they in a smaller run then the older birds but like in a the same run if that makes sense. Did you have a smaller run in your bigger run for the chicks? Sorry if you said that part in the article

Can't remember if it's in the article, but yes there is a separate run for them to get used to going up and down a ramp before allowing them to mingle with the flock.

 

[CKfarm22]

Can't remember if it's in the article, but yes there is a separate run for them to get used to going up and down a ramp before allowing them to mingle with the flock.

Thank you!

 

[CooksCorner]

I'm so thankful for this forum. Many of you have helped us without even knowing it. This post has greatly informed us on how to join our 4 wk old chick's with our 11 week old hens. Keeping them separate & not just throwing them in. Thank you for the help!

 

[chickfused]

Heh. Two of the littles I mentioned above, just brooded their first set of babies. Didn't even make it to a year old. Teenage moms!

 

[fuzzi]

I don't see any posts about integration inside a hoop coop so I thought I would add to this very worthwhile thread.

I don't have a separate coop, but a 16'x8'x6'h structure of cattle panels, hardware cloth (HWC) and tarps on one end.

The Sussex bantams will be 12 weeks old on Monday (5/22/23) and the Dominique bantams will be 6 weeks old on Wednesday (5/24/23). Both have spent their entire lives since day 3 in the hoop coop, so the littles have lived with the Sussex their whole lives, first in a dog crate brooder, then a grow-out pen, also a dog crate. They have been able to slip in and out of the pen for a couple weeks, but are aggressively attacked by some of the lower ranked Sussex.

In the last few days they haven't indicated an interest in coming out at all, despite plenty of hiding places.

Here's my thoughts:

1. Make a "roosting cave" until they they actually decide to roost for the night (based upon what the Sussex did, they'll be on the ground for a couple more weeks)

2. Block the entrance to the roosting cave enough so the Sussex can't access it

3. Remove the brooder, totally, so the Dominiques can't hide away indefinitely

Am I rushing them? I will be home today and tomorrow so I can supervise. And I will need to figure out how to feed the Dominiques. There are several waterers accessible to smaller chicks.

Any advice or suggestions?