Pecking Order, Chicken Time-Out and Adding Two Pullets?

[DawnKD]

That's the ticket!
I just integrated 4wo chicks with the flock using small doors in the split coop wall...chicks had been living in there for 3 weeks......was almost uneventful.

Cool!! I'm hoping for uneventful. It feels like a chicken shell-game right now .....

 

[aart]

Quote: Would be curious to know if it works with older chicks.....
.......are yours still cheeping or have they start honking or clucking?

 

[DawnKD]

Would be curious to know if it works with older chicks.....
.......are yours still cheeping or have they start honking or clucking?

I'm impressed you did it with 4wo chicks! Unfortunately, I only have one door into the coop so they wouldn't be able to fly up to it that young.

They have started squeaky clucking - does that make sense? Only a little cheeping if they find a good morsel/bug.

 

[aart]

Quote: I think the fact that they are still just tiny cheepers make them less of a 'threat' to the adults, plus they are eating and drinking in their own area not the main feed/water.
My pop doors are about 30" off the ground, but ramps go down to 16 above ground,
chicks were 'trained' to ramp and door in a separate run before being introduced to the main coop/run.

squeakyclucking...yeah...voices changing....sounds like honking to me.

 

[DawnKD]

@aart Honking - I like it!

My coop door is actually a sliding window about 24" off the ground in the run, and the same height to the coop floor. The chicks have not yet climbed up/down the ramp to the run, and have to jump/fly up to the window to get out of the coop .... I've been carrying them around from the coop to run; they are sleeping in the coop, but in their box. (The silly, bully Delaware still acts like she can barely jump to get out of the coop every morning and has to work up her courage)

Everyone spent 20 minutes together today with the chicks dog fencing opened slightly on both sides so they had safety from the big girls. As expected, my low-on-the-totem-pole Welsummer was a bit intent on pecking some heads and even holding onto some neck feathers; the BO grabbed some neck feathers too, and the EE was completely unfazed. My bleeding heart couldn't take any more - and I had to get my son from school! - so I closed the little ones back in the dog fencing with more see-no-touchy time. Saturday I'll spend more time out here supervising.

I wish I could let them all free-range and work it out, but we have coyotes and bears and I've had enough attacks that I am too chicken! (pun intended)

 

[aart]

It does sound like honking to me......for one short period during 'voice change'.

Here's my ramp and the chicks rambling around the big run.

 

[DawnKD]

That's quite the catwalk; mine is much less elegant.

So far the littles are being occasionally chased or chastised, and they flee with the appropriate amount of respect for their elders.

 

[aart]

Not sure if a solid ramp with cleats might be easier to navigate than a ladder type<shrugs>.
I'm wondering if chicks will get more crap from adults once they start getting older.

 

[DawnKD]

Not sure if a solid ramp with cleats might be easier to navigate than a ladder type<shrugs>.
I'm wondering if chicks will get more crap from adults once they start getting older.

I'm curious how the hormones surge will affect things too.

The 12 wo BR has her moments when she gets a little big in the britches and pecks at alpha hen's face ... sometimes she gets away with it, and sometimes they rap her on the head. She runs scared, remembers the lesson for awhile, then does it again! I'm curious if she's going to push her way up the ladder once she's mature.

The Welsummer is busy right now doling out her version of street justice. If my EE pecks the Welsummer to stay away from food, the Welsummer then looks around for the 12 wo BR or the RSL (who ever is closer) to taunt. If its the BR, then the 12 wo RSL gets a peck from the BR next.

It's like a chicken soap opera in the run!!!

 

[3Chickenlover3]

I have four chickens, and I just got two more yesterday ! I am seperating the two new girls from the oldies for a week! When it's time to put the two new girls in with the others at night , do I have to worry about them killing the two new girls in the morning? Will I have to get up before they do and wait to make sure everything will work out? Or will the old girls already be used to the two new ones?