Topic of the Week - Integrating Chicks into an Adult Flock

[missy1971]

Ok..here are some pics from yesterday...I know its not the thread for it, but look at my 2 Buff's, they are supposed to be the same age. The little chicks have done great in there, Ginny hasn't really bothered them at all, Ive been letting them out in the big coop to get used to it, they love it. Oh and that is their new roost i built yesterday...

 

[rdfields68]

Hi I currently have one red star hen about two years old (her two siblings recently passed in the last six months) and I recently got 6 pullets and 1 rooster that are about 10 weeks old. I've kept them separate for quarantine and recently moved them outside in a tractor next to my run for about a week. My question is how long should I wait to put them together? I can't let them free range because of neighborhood cats and hawks but I have a 4x8 coop and a 11x21 ft. Run for them. This just makes me nervous for all parties my adult and little ones.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Just wanted to share my experience with integrating ... in progress right now. I have a mixed flock of 2-yr-old RIR and BPR, 35 hens and 2 roosters. These were all raised together. This spring, I received 29 black australorp and 8 old English game bantam chicks, also brooded together, but in a separate building from the adults. At 6-1/2 weeks old, I moved the Aussies and Bantams into a run and coop of their own, sharing a fence with the big birds - so they could all see and meet each other without touching. For a week, the Aussies and Bantams stayed in their own run, while the big birds had their run and free range as well.

The fence I have separating them, and from the outside, is chain-link. Not the best choice for chicks, but it's what I have. I worried for the Bantams at first, as they are still small enough to race freely through the fencing like it's not even there - and they did, from day One. My worry was for nothing - as the Bantams are just fast as lightning and never had a problem coming and going freely as they pleased. After about a week (just a few days ago) I opened up some gaps along their shared fence by putting some bricks under the edge of the fencing. Big enough for the Aussie chicks and growing Bantams to pass freely through, but the big birds can't follow. It's been working very well!

Today, most of the Aussie chicks and Bantams were mixing with the big flock. NONE of my 37 adult birds has bothered them one bit. They scratch and range (in the run) side by side. A couple of the big birds squeezed themselves through the holes in the fence into the chicks' run - but again, no problems at all. Tomorrow, if the weather holds fair, I'll let a group of the big hens into the chicks' run and see how that goes. If all is well, Saturday I plan to open the gate between the runs and let them all mingle in both runs.

In about a week or two, we're donating two dozen of the adult birds to a couple different families - so this should help (I hope) with establishing a new pecking order inclusive of the Aussies and Bantams in the remaining flock.

And ALSO I have four 6-week-old rescue chicks that we received two weeks ago - They're currently in a THIRD run and coop we have, with 26 jumbo Cornish X chicks (same age as the Aussies and Bantams), who have a date with their destiny next week. Except the orphans - I'll move them to the newly-vacated smaller coop and run, and do this integration thing all over again for just those four.

Thanks to those who suggested all the tips for integrating chicks with adult birds --- it's working!!!

 

[chickjoy11]

• How old should chicks be when they are integrated into an adult flock?

I brood my chicks in the run from day one. They are accepted by the flock as members from then on. Back when I brooded indoors, I began bringing them out on day trips at age two weeks. They are in their own safe pen with small mesh fencing around the lower part to keep tiny heads from poking through and an adult from inflicting injuries.

During these first couple weeks, the chicks are taking in information about the adult individuals, learning temperaments and ranks. By age two to three weeks, I then open portals into the main run so the chicks can mingle. This system I dubbed the "panic room", and the chicks learn quickly to retreat back through the portals, which are chick size, to find safety when an adult acts threatening.

• Are they too small to be integrated? Do they need to be a similar size to the older chickens?

I don't believe chicks are necessarily too small to be integrated as they are inexperienced. Chicks are much too trusting and naive for their first two weeks, instinctively following and crowding under adult hens. This can get them painfully pecked or even killed. They need to get past that initial vulnerability before they mingle with the adults. Through observation, I've learned they're usually past that stage around two weeks of age and can fully appreciate the dangers inherent in adult chickens.

• What is the best way to introduce chicks to the rest of the flock?

The best way to introduce the chicks to the flock is to brood them alongside in a safe pen from the start, then integrate using the panic room method. If brooded indoors, I recommend day trips to the run, length of trip dependent on age and heat needs, to get them and the adult flock familiarized.

• What / how do you feed a flock of mixed ages after integration?

I don't feed layer formula at all. Ever. I use an all flock feed, ferment it, and provide oyster shell free-choice. However, the chicks are fed inside their safe pen until they no longer fit through the portals around three months. At present, my three-month old chicks no longer have their panic room, but I've provided a table for them to hang out on and their food is on top so they aren't bullied from getting enough to eat. In another month, they will be the same size as the adults, so they will then be on their own.

How large are the portals? I'm ready to move the 3 week olds outdoors.

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

So I have 4 young Australorps that are outside (have been since they were 6 weeks old and are now going on 2.5 months) in viewing range of the other hens and 5 month old rooster. I have watched them all stare and interact with each other which seems fine. 1 of the new 4 babies is a cockerel and the other 3 pullets. This will give me a total of 2 cockerels (2.5 months and 5 months is my BO) and 10 pullets/hens total. I have 1 RIR hen who is so old she doesn't lay anymore, 2 PBR hens that are prob 4-5 years old, and 4 Australorp hens that are 1-2 years old. (I am getting more pullets in the spring FYI so the cockerels don't kill each other over the hens when they mature). I am keeping the young Australorps confined still due to some of my hens are not vicious, but they are mildly aggressive to some of the other hens with the pecking order. They will chase certain hens, never drawing blood and rarely even getting a peck in.. but mostly chasing them only when I'm feeding them 'treats'. Other then that all get along fine. The only thing I have ever witnessed that showed any negativity was my old non laying RIR and young currently caged cockerel were pecking at the chicken wire fence with neck feathers flared on them both. I am not surprised as Big Red (as I call her) is kind of a boss around the flock.. all other interactions with the young ones has been quite and not note worthy at all.

I am just wondering how I should release my young ones... Should I do it during the day so they can mingle? Should I put the young ones on the roosting area at night so the transition is easier? My hens accepted my 5 month old BO almost immediately (within 10 min) as he also accepted them, but he is alot taller then the hens too. My 4 young ones are about 1/2 grown... and I want them to be a little bigger before I completely free them. I just want it to be as easy as possible for them. Also once the young ones are released they will free range with all the other hens and the 5 month old BO.. they will have plenty of space to hide or run if needed.

 

[robyn8]

I have had multi ages groups a couple times this year and introducing them has always been most stressful on me. This spring we raised 4 chicks in a brooder. Had them in the garage for 2 weeks then moved them to the coop in dog cage. When they were 6 weeks and didn't need heat we let them out of the cage. Hubs built them a few boxes to hide in but I don't think they ever used them.

I let them out in the afternoon when I had the whole day home. The bigs didn't care much since they were clearly still babies. They pecked them for being rude but the babies learned quickly to avoid the bigs. Honestly I had way more problems reintroducing an injured hen that had been separated to heal than the babies.

I'd try letting them out when you have time to hang around and watch. Space and areas where they feel safe seems to be most important. Oh and multiple feeders and waters. I normally have 2 waterers and 3 feeder for 12 birds and added an extra feeder and waterer when we were introducing the babies.

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

Yes I will 100% be home to supervise the babies with first time freedom.. for a few days lol. I worry about them ha. I'll be monitoring my dogs too.. I have 4 and they would never go after a chicken they know better, but the dogs always notice which chickens are new lol. I do have randomly placed bowls outside to collect the rain water all around the barn and they get corn in 2-3 areas plus treats. I'll prob free them during the day then....

 

[robyn8]

I also found distracting the big girls with more scratch and treats than usual helped.

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

I am going to see if I can get some fruit to set out for my older hens and I am going to sit in a chair in the barn to observe lol.

 

[aart]

I've found integrating young is easiest, tho it takes some work to get it set up.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/