Introducing chicks to the coop

[Ridgerunner]

I read that as 4 feet square so 16 square feet. With a 5x3 (15 square fert) lower section. That's still tight for integration, let alone for 13 chickens total. I don't think it will be big enough.

I let mine roam in the run (I have over 2,000 square feet on the run, you have 5,000 ) until I'm convinced they can peacefully coexist without the hens chasing them and beating them up. Also the chicks need to learn to avoid the adults, don't go invading their personal space. I usually let mine roam the run together for four weeks before I start putting them in the main coop to sleep. Nothing magical about four weeks, I'm just not in a hurry to put them in. I could do it earlier.

My main coop is 8 feet x 12 feet. The adults sleep on the roosts, the chicks find other places to sleep. They do not share roosts until the younger one start laying. As long as they do not sleep in my nests and where they sleep is predator safe I don't much care where they sleep.

I'd keep doing what you are doing as far as them seeing each other. Don't try to shoehorn them into a tight space and things should go well. But I'm not comfortable thinking about you trying to get them to all sleep in that two level coop.

 

[Brooke Carson]

I'd let them stay in the run during the day, you're not really letting them get to know each other if it's just a few hours here and there. No reason to close off the coop, just don't expect the younger ones to want to go in there at night just yet.

Once they're good in the daytime for a week or two then I'd start thinking about how to move them into the coop. A divider like you mentioned, or a dog crate or something similar inside the coop.


A little foggy on how the coop is laid out, it sounds very small in comparison to the run but maybe it's not making sense in my head. Any photos? If the roosting section is only 4 sq ft that's enough space for 1 bird, so I don't see how that's possible when you have 6 hens. You definitely wouldn't have room for the new additions at all if that's how small it is.

I'll try to get pictures later in the daylight. The coop upper section has 4 nesting boxes down each side and a 4 by 4 foot square of flooring with two roosting bars. The bars can hold 8-10 chickens each (depending on how snuggly they want to be) And then there's a ramp that leads down into the lower section which is still enclosed. It's basically like a tough shed or something. It's maybe 6 foot long and 6 foot tall but about 3-4 foot wide. We put the food and water in it so there's not tons of walking room inside of it for the human size things.

 

[Brooke Carson]

I'd let them stay in the run during the day, you're not really letting them get to know each other if it's just a few hours here and there. No reason to close off the coop, just don't expect the younger ones to want to go in there at night just yet.

Once they're good in the daytime for a week or two then I'd start thinking about how to move them into the coop. A divider like you mentioned, or a dog crate or something similar inside the coop.


A little foggy on how the coop is laid out, it sounds very small in comparison to the run but maybe it's not making sense in my head. Any photos? If the roosting section is only 4 sq ft that's enough space for 1 bird, so I don't see how that's possible when you have 6 hens. You definitely wouldn't have room for the new additions at all if that's how small it is.

And yes, I think we need to put them outside more but it's been super cold and windy and wet so we've been trying to wean them off of indoor heat a little more gently.

 

[Brooke Carson]

4' x 4' or 16 square feet?
Yeah, pretty small for even the 6 oldest, let alone trying to integrate more.


This is great, is it weather proofed at all?
Is there a door to easily get another shelter/coop inside?



Certainly would help here.

Sorry--I didn't make that clear. I meant it's about 4 foot by 4 foot and about 4 foot tall. It has protrusion nest boxes down each side and there are 4 of them per side and then roosting bars overhead in the middle area and there are 2 of them. They can hold about 6-10 chickens per bar depending on how close they want to sit.


The outside run isn't weather proofed. It's basically tall cattle panel (?) nailed up on fence posts about 6 foot tall with a bunch of chicken wire as a roof to keep the sky-predators out. (we have tons of hawks, owls, and eagles) It does have some benches and trees and brush inside of it that they can get into or under but nothing truly weather proof.

 

[Brooke Carson]

I read that as 4 feet square so 16 square feet. With a 5x3 (15 square fert) lower section. That's still tight for integration, let alone for 13 chickens total. I don't think it will be big enough.

I let mine roam in the run (I have over 2,000 square feet on the run, you have 5,000 ) until I'm convinced they can peacefully coexist without the hens chasing them and beating them up. Also the chicks need to learn to avoid the adults, don't go invading their personal space. I usually let mine roam the run together for four weeks before I start putting them in the main coop to sleep. Nothing magical about four weeks, I'm just not in a hurry to put them in. I could do it earlier.

My main coop is 8 feet x 12 feet. The adults sleep on the roosts, the chicks find other places to sleep. They do not share roosts until the younger one start laying. As long as they do not sleep in my nests and where they sleep is predator safe I don't much care where they sleep.

I'd keep doing what you are doing as far as them seeing each other. Don't try to shoehorn them into a tight space and things should go well. But I'm not comfortable thinking about you trying to get them to all sleep in that two level coop.

I haven't really measured it except on Google earth but the upper coop has 4 nesting boxes per side and 2 roosting bars that can sleep about 6-10 chickens. The lower section is something we were hoping to expand eventually as needed, but there would still be one door because of the way the fence divides it so that the door opens into the run and the nest boxes open to the outside area where the humans are. I'll try to get some pictures later.