Adding baby chicks to flock

[Aunt Angus]

No worries I love the idea and I’m going to try improvising. Thanks

Let us know how it goes!!!

 

[Aunt Angus]

My pullets are a about 2 or 3 months old now, and have a 5 year old rooster and 2.5 year and 9 month old hens in main flock, I brooded them in a large dog kennel as they were under quarantine, once quarantine lifted I had no problem with them integrating into the flock, though, they started out by going out but could always get back into the kennel where the older birds couldn't . One night I about had a heart attack, went out and couldn't find the pullets at all, they were last place I would have thought , they had followed the chickens into the coop and were happily perched with the flock. even if it was just on the ladder so once arm heals up I will get a real perch made for them.

I hope my babies end up doing just that!

 

[aart]

Is that somewhere only the young chicks can fit?

Yes....yours may be too old/big at 8 weeks, depending on how big your adult birds are.
And the smaller the chicks the easier the integration.
However you make the opening, make it adjustable.
Here's how I do it, and there's a couple links in there to 2 other members setups.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[Aunt Angus]

Yes....yours may be too old/big at 8 weeks, depending on how big your adult birds are.
And the smaller the chicks the easier the integration.
However you make the opening, make it adjustable.
Here's how I do it, and there's a couple links in there to 2 other members setups.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

That's awesome! Very smart.

I just use bungee cords to adjust the size of the opening between my temporary fence and the permanent run. I'm not very clever. I'm just frugal (cheap) and not much of a builder - lol! My bantams fit through that. My big girls can't.

 

[Mrs. K]

What I do is create a pen in the run. That the chicks are in with food and water, wait a week. Then if you lift the pen up, say 3-4 inches, or a bit more, the chicks will begin to explore the big world, but can retreat to the safety zone at will. You have to make sure that there is countless ways the chicks can get in there, so they don't get trapped out of the safety zone. I have used lattice panels which they could go through like water. Or a bottomless pen that lifted up on blocks works the same way. In a week, they were out amongst the flock and I took it down.

I did put them to bed in a dog carrier, they would naturally go in there at dark. Then I would put the carrier in the coop at night.

I do minimal locking of them apart. This lets the birds work it out on their terms, not on my terms, however, I have a large run, and a lot of area, and I add birds fairly frequently.

Mrs K