At what age should my chicks and hens integrate?

[tweetzone86]

Hello all!

When can I integrate hens and chicks? I have 9 two year old RIRs and 19 nine-week old chicks (barred rock, silver-laced wyandotte, and two new hampshire red cockerels). We are having issues trying to take care of the two separate flocks, since I got thrown from a horse last week. Hubby was in charge while my severely strained muscles healed, and unfortunately under his charge two died and were eaten by the others (they ran out of food and water I don't know how long a day or two? And not sure if they died from the heat wave we had or if the others killed the weakest ones) and one went missing (we'd already lost one at one week to seizures, so that leaves us with 19 left out of 23 original).

This second flock has had hubby very frustrated (they're unusually flighty for BR, SLW and NHR) and I'm now getting frustrated at our heavy losses due to him being in charge (he works full time but I was so exhausted from muscle relaxers that I could barely stay awake all day). Not to knock my husband per se (he grew up in suburbia and while I did too, I had extended family with animals so I am more farmer than him), but we've GOT to stop losing so many babies

I am still tied up from the horse accident, but I will be done with muscle relaxers tomorrow and will be taking over chicken duty again so he's not overwhelmed (we're also building our house, and there's a lot of stress with the flock losses). If we can integrate the flocks so that they're all for sure corralled together (hawks and coyotes- can't free range) then maybe it would be easier than trying to monitor two flocks in two separate locations?

The hen coop is 12x8, with about maybe 120 sq ft run. If need be, we can try to make the run bigger to accommodate the increase. Our plan is to build a bigger 10x20 coop with two halves separated by wire in the middle and a 200 sq foot run before winter, but we aren't able to do that quite yet so the chicks are currently in probably the ugliest scrap-wood 10x10 temporary coop right now.

Any advice? Are my chicks going to continue being cannibals if they have adequate food and water? That is NOT a pleasant thing to discover (two dead ones being eaten).

 

[Sonya9]

If they aren't starving I wouldn't worry about cannibalism. So your henhouse and run combined is about 216 sq feet, that is not big enough for 30 birds. 10 sq ft per bird for the run is considered the minimum.

Another big consideration is that Rhode Island Reds are known to be rather aggressive, it isn't all that noticeable in an all RIR flock but when softer more timid birds are added to the mix things could get ugly fast.

You also said the flocks are in "separate locations", guess that means the runs were not next to each other? Typically new birds are penned in next to the main flock so they get somewhat acquainted before mixing.

IMO you need to keep the flocks separate until you can build a coop large enough to accommodate them all. If I were you I would also plan to have an extra run in the new coop to house injured birds, or for chicks etc... When you do mix them please pay close attention for a few days so the pullets are not traumatized by the older birds.

 

[rosemarythyme]

You need to enlarge the coop and run first. If that means holding off on integration until they're adults, so be it.

The cannibalism shouldn't continue to be an issue as long as they get fed properly and no dead chicks are left in the enclosure.

You also said the flocks are in "separate locations", guess that means the runs were not next to each other? Typically new birds are penned in next to the main flock so they get somewhat acquainted before mixing.

Good question! If the chicks and hens haven't spent time in the see-but-not-touch stage, that comes first.