3-Way Flock Merge - Advice?

[Puddin Fluff]

We hatchrd our first batch 4 weeks ago. We gave our broody girl 4 eggs and she hatched one. The flock was not pleased with the one fluffy new addition, so broody momma and chiick have their own pen. The problem is that pen was to be for the 18 chicks now crowding the brooder. Can I return broody mom to the flock without the chick and add the brooder chicks to the coop with the one? Any thoughts?

 

[Spangled]

It's not clear to me. Will the older hens have their own separate pen? Will the 4 week olds have their own pen? If so, then things should work out fine with the younger chicks.

If you are very cautious, it would be easiest if the lone chick that was with the mom has the home court advantage of being in the coop by herself (girl or boy). Then on the first day, add one new chick and let them become buddies. Then add another the next day or maybe two. Keep the same feeder and waterer that the lone chick was used to because it will be a transition because momma always told her what and when to eat. Once the lone chick has gotten used to having other chicks around and is getting to the feeder and waterer without trouble, then you can add in the others. It can go more quickly than that, but you just have to play it by ear. I'd probably try to do it all in a day. But some will depend on if the first two know where to go to be at night and will do so. The new chicks will follow the others to bed (probably or hopefully). It is no fun putting chicks new to a coop to bed one by one in my grow out coop because the run is 4 feet high and I have to crawl on the ground. But your set up will undoubtedly be very different.

Yeah, I know you might have to buy another brooder set up. A back up set up maybe would be useful anyway? But at 4 weeks, there's a really good chance that it will be super easy and you won't need another set.

I think I would start just before dawn and move the broody momma off to the laying flock's coop because she won't be too happy at first and if it's dark she'll be easier to handle. She may mope around for a few days.

Seriously, though, 4 week old chicks rarely notice a new chick in the group. None of mine have paid much attention as long as the chick blends in color-wise and doesn't have a crest. I put a couple silkies into a group of three and four week olds just recently without a hitch, not even the crests were a problem. But I've had a little trouble when everyone is older and they're more worried about pecking order.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Everyone does it differently and has different experiences.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I was so worried about mine, especially after I heard that roosters will kill chicks...while was making a bigger chick pen mamahen took the the chicks for a walk and cleared a path through the other chickens, the roosters looked sideways at the chicks and ran off.
Now both broodies and twenty three chicks are roaming all over, I think they swapped a couple, because I thought each hen had a white one......
See, all that worry for nothing.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Thanks for the advice. Yes, the laying hens have their own pen. We built an "addition" for the new chicks where two sides join the layer pen and they are seperated only by chicken wire. We had intended to leave the broody an chick with the layers, but she is low on the totem pole, and some of the girls didn't like the chick and nearly killed it, so the "addition" became a place to put the broody and chick.

We give them chances to free range, and normally it is ok, but a couple of the girls still want to target her and she trys to defend herself and the chick, but it's too much when three of them are after her. Once she is only fending for herself, she can get back in the pecking order without us worrying the chick will be killed.

I like the Idea of putting them in a few at a time. The one that has been out there can become the teacher for the others.

I remember when we put our layers out the first night, silly girls were sleeping out in the aviary in the rain until we moved them inside,

We do plan to merge the two sets, but will wait until they are larger.

Thanks again.