What do you predict will happen?

[BarnyardChaos]

Hey y'all! (I just love that term; I spent some years in Texas and Oklahoma, so I'm allowed to use it ) In a couple of weeks, I'll need to combine a couple of groups of youngsters into Camp Cockerel, or Freezer Camp, whatever you wish to call it. One group of 26 will be about 11 weeks old, and the second group of 29 will be about 7 weeks old. I can reduce those numbers some by moving the pullets to the integration area in the Big Coop, but I haven't got that section built to my liking, yet. The older chicks have already been in Freezer Camp for a week, and I'll need to add the younger group to them soon.

Anyway, what if I just put the younger group in with them, without a period of integration? Will it be a bloodbath, or just a brief period of fussing?

 

[aart]

Anyway, what if I just put the younger group in with them, without a period of integration? Will it be a bloodbath, or just a brief period of fussing?

IMO, it should be managed like any other integration.
You could try to just stick them in there, but yes it could be a bloodbath.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

IMO, it should be managed like any other integration.
You could try to just stick them in there, but yes it could be a bloodbath.

Well, okay then. I was afraid of that, but hoped that since hormones aren't yet flowing it would be easier. I've never added chicks to chicks before, just chicks to adults. Thank you. I'll configure something for them. Might have to do it in small batches.

 

[Brooks_]

hoped that since hormones aren't yet flowing it would be easier

In this case, it is more about pecking order/dynamics than hormones.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How big is this area, in feet, in the coop? In the run? Photos showing the layout would be helpful. It helps me make predictions on what might happen if I know what you're working with. I can still be wrong, probably will be, but I'll feel better about it.

To me the main thing is room. If they are shoehorned in a tight space you are likely to have problems. If they can spread out and get away from each other you have a pretty good chance. By room I don't mean some square feet per bird number, can they actually run away from each other and avoid each other or are they forced to intermingle.

At those ages you won't have to worry about the weather. I'd put a few widely scattered feed and water stations. Try it when you can observe and see what happens.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

How big is this area, in feet, in the coop? In the run? Photos showing the layout would be helpful. It helps me make predictions on what might happen if I know what you're working with. I can still be wrong, probably will be, but I'll feel better about it.

To me the main thing is room. If they are shoehorned in a tight space you are likely to have problems. If they can spread out and get away from each other you have a pretty good chance. By room I don't mean some square feet per bird number, can they actually run away from each other and avoid each other or are they forced to intermingle.

At those ages you won't have to worry about the weather. I'd put a few widely scattered feed and water stations. Try it when you can observe and see what happens.

The coop will be cramped, to be honest. It's only 4' x 12'. But it's only for roosting, only for cockerels up to 17 weeks of age, and only during mild seasons. The door and window are hardware cloth covered and operable. It has about 16 LF of roosts at about chest height, 8 LF at hip height, and 4 LF at knee height. (Last night all 26 of the currently 9-week-olds lined up along one 8' section.) This pic was taken before I added another 8-ft roosting bar along the right wall:

The run is about 20' x 30' with various obstacles and obstructions they can go under, over or through. I can add more, or just spread what there is farther apart. I've added one tarp for shade, and plan to add another in the nearest corner you see below:

Since @aart confirmed my fears this morning, I've been working on gathering materials to make an integration area within that run, just to the right of that small coop and under the tarp. I've got an extra wire-enclosed brooder cage that would work for nighttime security, if I add some waterproofing for weather protection. And it will be easy enough to make the little integration space accessible for the little'uns to run under their fence to safety, but the big'uns couldn't follow.

(Yes, I know the neighborhood hawks could use this run for a fast-food joint and it's far from predator proof. I can't afford to cover it yet. So I'm taking my chances, and compensating by making the coop/shed secure like Fort Knox so at least nighttime critters can't get to them. So far this year the hawks have been circling the pasture, but I've seen them filling up on mice and rabbits - we've got plenty. My big chickens and roosters aren't calling any alarms, yet, even when they are free-ranging and the hawks are overhead. Weird. Probably just a matter of time, though.)

Any comments are appreciated.

 

[Sussex19]

I have added cockerels at about those ages.
Not so many at one time though.
None of them seemed to care at all, and there certainly wasn't a blood bath, but then none of my chickens ever do seem to care about being integrated

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I have added cockerels at about those ages.
Not so many at one time though.
None of them seemed to care at all, and there certainly wasn't a blood bath, but then none of my chickens ever do seem to care about being integrated

I was kind of wondering if the sheer numbers would confuse the entire pecking order and make integration easier.

 

[Maddcatter]

I was kind of wondering if the sheer numbers would confuse the entire pecking order and make integration easier.

I tried adding 12 -6 week olds in with 40 -4 week olds at some point (mostly females, all around)... The 4 week olds were picked on, and while it wasn't a blood bath, there were some injuries. I recommend an adjustment space. When I got the 40 younger ones out to the coop, with an adjustment space, the chicks integrated together faster than the adults and chicks did.

 

[Dinoroar]

I have added cockerels at about those ages.
Not so many at one time though.
None of them seemed to care at all, and there certainly wasn't a blood bath, but then none of my chickens ever do seem to care about being integrated

Same for me. I guess depends a lot on the temperament of your birds.