3 NEW Girls for The Flock? Need Help Please?

[SteveBaz]

Was out in the country and met a guy thats raises worms for a living and his farm. I got a Buff, Another Black Star Sex Link, and a very cute EE. I have left my girls out of the coop and they are in the coop until tonight when I let the girls into the coop in the dark. Hopefully in the dark of the brooder they will wake in the morning and say I never saw them before and where the heck did they come from. I hope my other 3 chicks will not hurt the new babys. Mine are 9 weeks and these are about 7 weeks and let me tell you my 9 wqeek old chics are huge compared to these 3 new little girls. Please God above let them be friends.........

Steve

 

[SteveBaz]

Help you guys for tonight do you think I should lock the new girls in the brooder and let the older girls stay in the coop? It raining and in the mid 50's now but tomight it may get to 40's? Take the chance and put them all in the brooder in the dark and what happens happens?

Steve

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

As long as the new ones are strong and fully feathered out they should be fine in the coop - If you are worried the older ones will beat the living daylights out of them, I would separate them. MW

 

[SteveBaz]

Quote:
EXACTLY!! I agree. I just let them all out together with my 1st 3 girls and the top hen went after the chicks. They are enormous compared to the 3 new babies. The new are strong bc they have lived on a farm with 150 other chickens geese ducks farm animals and its the fittest there for sure. I think for the next couple of days or a week or 2 I am going to force them to stay in the coop run of 4' X 8' and that’s enough to keep them safe for the time being. The big girls will be out all day and I have a brooder door and they will get in and out from there. Since they free range my 50' X 10' all day I will put food out for them there and the coop is off limits even though the 3 new girls came from a 100% free range and they will not like it at all but oh, well. For their safety anyway.

Doesn’t this sound like a sound plan for now?

Steve

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

Sure. I don't free-range my birds, but if you do it sounds good to me.

 

[OvertheHenHouse]

They're super cute - and look like midgets compared to your big girls! Yep - I'd keep them separated until your newbies buff up and they all become accustomed to each other.

 

[SteveBaz]

I cut upen one side of the box they came in and flipped it over and put one at a time through the door and that was it for the night no more stress no more peeping and they were out of the count.

 

[SteveBaz]

Well this is the 3rd day of introduction watch of 3 new chic’s. They hardly notice each group now walking around. It is curiosity more than anything. Testing who is IT around here. My RIR yesterday after not noticing the chic’s at all decided to go over and check them out and she stood there and just watched and out of no where she pecked the foot of one of the babies and the entire group jumped straight up in the air and squawked like they were all pecked and my little Reddie girl ran out of the coop like she saw a ghost.

I also messed them up in the head by buying a straw bale and spread it all over most of the run and so the #1 girl is disoriented and is not even noticing the 3 new babies bc of all the straw. There is at least a 4 week difference between the 2 groups. I think pecking order has been established and I am going to monitor them today and if no more real confrontations I will put them all up in the brooder tonight hoping there will be no further problems inside with Blackie my #1 girl. Do you folks think they will do a thing in the dark to them?, RIGHT?

Steve

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

I wouldn't worry about them at night - chickens cannot see well in the dark and turn very docile and clumsy. If you think the big ones are threatening to the little ones I would worry more about early morning before most people go out when they are just waking up. MW

 

[SteveBaz]

Well I got them on the 17th and they have survived well. The nature to survive is so strong with these little creatures. They are fast and smart and a desire not to be caught.!!

It seems that I have successfully integrated 4 -5 week old chicks into the group of 10 to 11 week old flock. There seems to be a definite dynamic going on here meaning the original 3 are a flock and the 3 new are a flock. Each flock has it's pecking order and then there is Blackie my Top hen in the older group and if the small group is not doing something proper she lets them know for sure. However, I feel the integration process or the introduction of a new group to and older more established group is more curiosity when they chase, pick or peck on one that it smaller as opposed to pure viciousness’. I think there is a very military kind of order and when everyone knows ones place, it works.

Now last night the small girls were in the brooder with the big girls and I removed them fearing the worst to come in the morning light as they wake up and there is a bit of light shining in on the brooder from the vent doors. So one last night I removed the new girls and put them again in the cardboard box for the night in fear of any injuries when things were going so good to this point. This morning I got up and went out to 3 new girls playing in the coop run and the older girls waiting anxiously to be let out of the brooder they were locked in for the night. They jumped down went into the run and coop and basically ignored the 3 new girls and just did what they normally did and wait for the morning bowl or WHATEVER I decide to bring which was a bowl of old salad and dry oatmeal flakes this morning.

Steve