And so it begins... integration

[Disheygirl]

The 7 hoolighens roosting together.

Awww! My younger girls still sleep on the floor of their coop together stuffed in a corner.

 

[Lor]

Awww! My younger girls still sleep on the floor of their coop together stuffed in a corner.

These do too. Only one will be on the roost at night.
The picture was taken out in the run. First time they were all in one spot where I could get a picture of them together.

 

[Chicken poppy]

These do too. Only one will be on the roost at night.
The picture was taken out in the run. First time they were all in one spot where I could get a picture of them together.

Emily just sits on everyone and lays eggs on them, sometimes sleeping, sometimes standing and surfing on them.

she lays eggs on them while they lay eggs, shes nuts.

(or she just sleeps on them on a rod or dust-bathing or something)

 

[Lor]

So far so good! No bloodshed. No deaths. LOL...
Rachael still can't be trusted but all is well with the other 3 so far.

 

[Chicken poppy]

So far so good! No bloodshed. No deaths. LOL...
Rachael still can't be trusted but all is well with the other 3 so far.

Glad its working out so far! Hope it continues to work well.

 

[Lor]

Glad its working out so far! Hope it continues to work well.

Thank you! It's nerve racking. I think my husband is worse than I am.
I don't know when to open the coop to them. I will wait awhile longer. Make sure everything goes well in the inner and outer runs.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you! It's nerve racking. I think my husband is worse than I am.
I don't know when to open the coop to them. I will wait awhile longer. Make sure everything goes well in the inner and outer runs.

Mine is for sure. That's why I don't tell him when I'm working on integration, or taking away the brooder... I just do it and tell him after.

 

[Lor]

Progress...
Friday we decided to open up the inner and outer runs to the chicks. They still have their 7x3' pen and along the rest of the wall the pen is on for a safe space. Door to outer run is open.
2 orpingtons figured out the ins and outs. They go out and back in often. The others haven't quite figured it out yet. At times some of the others go out with the 2 orpingtons. The sapphire gem hangs out mostly in the safe space and I have to catch her and take her outside with the others.
Some pecking (looks like biting to me) and slight chasing by the older hens, but it's going well. Rachael was still a problem. If things didn't go well over the weekend we were going to put her in a pet pen inside the run for a few days so the chicks could better integrate with the other hens. If that didn't work we were going to try the pinless peepers.

Rachael and the broom
Friday--
Any time Rachael saw those orpingtons (or any of the chicks) in the outer run her head and tail would go straight up and she'd make a bee line for those chicks. I intercepted with the broom. I swatted her twice that morning but the rest of the day I only had to stand up with broom in hand and she thought better of it.
Saturday--
All the chicks were happily having a bath in the corner of the (outer) run. When Rachael spotted them head and tail went up and she ran for them. Jumped feet first on top of them. I not only swatted her with the broom but chased her a bit with it while poking her behind with the bristles. The rest of the day I only had to stand up with broom in hand and she thought better of it.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday--
All good. She didn't go after any chicks. Just a bit of a chase or or peck if she was near enough to one. Most often I didn't have the broom in hand.
Example of times I didn't use the broom...
Yesterday all the chicks were in the (inner) run. When Rachael came in the door they scattered to the safe space. (smart chicks). Except poor Thistle. She's small so gets into the dog dish I have with food in it. Head down and back to the door she didn't see Rachael coming. I sat there waiting to see what she would do. Rachael strolled over to the dish, gave Thistle a peck (she ran to safe space) and just started eating.

Progress! I didn't know if using the broom was the right thing to do but it certainly helped. I no longer have to sit out there all day but do check often.

 

[Lor]

Since it's going well outside the coop we removed the barrier inside. It will be the first night without a safe space.

 

[Lor]

The chicks are a bit freaked (me too) because I haven't put them in the coop. They are still in the pen inside the run. I'm waiting for it to get dark enough for the bigs to go to bed then will be trying to get these chicks on their roost in the coop. I hope they stay on the roost (I'm doubtful).