5 week old chicks. combining with flock?

[CheekyMare]

It got really cold(for here, it'S 69°F) and we had 2.5" of rain last night on top of an already saturated yard so I'm holding off till it gets drier. I did let them out the back door for a little supervised scratching and weed eating.

 

[wbruder17]

I've been integrating 6 week old chicks in with my flock for a year and the older hens are fine, besides the normal pecking order. I always introduce 2 or more chicks at a time. I start by putting a large dog crate into the coop. The chicks sleep in there at night and range with the big hens in our super big enclosure. They eventually, after a few days or a week, put themselves to bbed with the big hens. I've never had a problem with picking or bullying, possibly because they all have plenty of room and food. Plus, I have several banties that are actually the same size as 6 week old chicks, so I don't think my big hens even notice the chicks all that much. My flock is so mixed and I add and take away chicks so often, that my hens are immune.

 

[Zanna]

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I have been doing this for years, several batches of chicks a year. Instead of a dog kennel, I partition off the back 1/4 of my tractor/coop with heavy deer netting. After two weeks or so (when I am sure I will not have to treat for cocci) I open a chick sized hole so they can come out if they like but the bigger chickens can not get in, giving the youngsters somewhere to get away if needed. Also they do not have to compete for food/water with the big guys. After another two weeks or so I open up the partition and everyone co-exists! The tractor has an auto door and the adults free range all daylight hours. I think this helps my method to work. The babies venture out when they are ready, usually takes them a month or so.

 

[CheekyMare]

Well I finally moved them out @ 9 weeks yesterday. Some still aren't really feathered out but it's plenty warm enough for them and they have good shelter.

pretty little chickie.

 

[wbruder17]

That bus/coop is so AWESOME! Im JEALOUS! I saw a VW vanagen turned into a coop and it was SOOPER COOL! I just love your setup!

 

[tamglas]

I agree that your old school bus coop is amazing...what a great idea! Wow, and it looks like you live in a really beautiful area!

 

[azygous]

I just LOVE this thread! And the bus coop is the coolest! All those windows let in lots of natural light, and chickens love lots of light. I expanded my coop two years ago and incorporated the window I removed from my garage when I installed grow windows there. The chickens love to sunbathe in the sunlight that comes into their coop on freezing cold days. (I know you don't have that problem in Belize.)

And I utilize a "panic room" with pop holes just big enough for the chicks to get through. This permits me to merge chicks with adults as early as six weeks with very few problems. As long as chicks have an escape route and places to find refuge from bullies, they'll be fine. You could rig up a small pen in the middle of the yard with small pop holes into it, and food and water inside for the chicks. They could run into it if chased, and always have a place to eat without being chased away from the feeder.

My chicks use their panic room until they're nearly the same size as the adults.

 

[CheekyMare]

Well so far so good. I've been letting the chicks out for supervised playtime for weeks now so the big chickens are pretty used to them. The chicks get pecked, squeak and run but no one is hunting them down and there are just so many(nearly 40) that it spreads the pecking out a bit. The guineas are the worst, but they really only go after the two adult rosters that aren't the top roo.

They have stalls and the bus and a huge yard to escape from the big 'uns.

Yesterday they took a long time to come out of the bus, but this morning they were out before sunrise.

and they got in there with the pigs and grownups for brekkie

 

[cmom]

Everybody looks happy...