Bad start with chickens; now what?

[lunahills]

I can't give guarantees, but with the protection of the dog crate along with the protection of the run I'd be willing to do it myself.

Thank you for all your suggestions, and for sending links to your examples. I’ll study your setups and do some planning. For now I’ll probably leave the little ones in the crate at night, although they have all roosted pretty peacefully together the past two nights. It’s daytime that’s a problem, and I hope to help that out when the pens arrive by putting the little ones in that as their own small run.

 

[3KillerBs]

It’s daytime that’s a problem, and I hope to help that out when the pens arrive by putting the little ones in that as their own small run.

You're welcome.

Can you do anything to give them their own little section of the run?

Any scrap hardware cloth you could ziptie to the run to make a little partition?

If you have a piece the width of the run you could ziptie one side to act as a hinge and use string to tie the other so you can move it aside to walk through to the rest of the run.

 

[lunahills]

You're welcome.

Can you do anything to give them their own little section of the run?

Any scrap hardware cloth you could ziptie to the run to make a little partition?

If you have a piece the width of the run you could ziptie one side to act as a hinge and use string to tie the other so you can move it aside to walk through to the rest of the run.

I could do that, but with the run already so small I wonder if that’s a good idea...I figured getting them out of there during the day might be the best bet based on what everyone here said. I figured I’ll set up the new pens beside the current run so they can see each other but be separated.

There used to be a large run enclosure off of our current run, but it wasn’t covered. We took it up before we ever brought home chickens. We could put that back but after the day I found a hawk sitting on top of our current run I don’t feel good about having them in an uncovered run. We’re home all day and are outside off and on with the dogs, who are good about chasing off predators. But it only took a short time for a hawk to find its way to the chickens. The only way I knew is I heard their squawking from inside the house (the coop and run are close to the house).

 

[3KillerBs]

but after the day I found a hawk sitting on top of our current run I don’t feel good about having them in an uncovered run.

Yes, that's evidence that an uncovered run is not a good option for you.

 

[lunahills]

One more question...if I move the young hens to their own pen now, when I eventually attempt to put the them back in with the older ones, will I still have the same problem? Somewhere I read that moving the bully chicken resets the pecking order to a more even level once you put them all back together, but it doesn’t seem right to take out the one who’s been there and let all the new ones have the current coop and run.

 

[3KillerBs]

One more question...if I move the young hens to their own pen now, when I eventually attempt to put the them back in with the older ones, will I still have the same problem? Somewhere I read that moving the bully chicken resets the pecking order to a more even level once you put them all back together, but it doesn’t seem right to take out the one who’s been there and let all the new ones have the current coop and run.

If you do the Look, Don't Touch slow integration they should be able to settle things more amicably the next time.

Also, the chicks will be big enough to stand up for themselves.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I was going to hop in here, but @3KillerBs is giving first class advice, and very personal attention.

As has been observed by others, your coop is much better than most we see from first time owners, and the hawk means nothing but covered runs for you. Birds can be integrated at that age, I also use the see and be seen method (my Sig is in the flock below). I am currently integrating ducks (now age 4.5 weeks) they've been at it for more than a week, and have successfully integrated both my prior chicken hatchings (now roughly 8 weeks and 11 weeks) into my adult flock. Its not instant, but the method works.

The last thing I'll add, and the only thing "new". When you increase your run, make it wider. Space is a social lubricant (so is abundance - multiple feed and water stations are your friend) - your current run is a little tight on square footage, but its not catastrophic. OTOH, its narrow enough that one bully hen can dominate the run - no space to get around her. Doubling or tripling the width will not only address the space shortages, but will make it so that no single bird can control the whole space. "Pecking" order will still occur, of course - but the chances of more injury than a few missing feathers and comb pecks will go down dramatically.

Oh, and throw some obstacles in there - if you have any of those paper thin plastic "pots" you get large shrubs/small trees in? They work great. So do 5 gallon buckets. and take the extra 5' roosting bar out, install it in the run somewhere. When the weather is nice, your birds may want to stay out, and again, its enrichment in the run space. Bored birds often create behavior problems. Like bored children.

 

[3KillerBs]

(so is abundance - multiple feed and water stations are your friend)

Yes, I forgot to mention this.

I've got 4 waterers set up for my birds with the Splits integrating in hot weather. I was afraid someone might guard the water.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I was afraid someone would spill the water. and they DO! (I've got ducks). There are three waters, just in the grow out pen. and a kiddie-pool in their run, which they use as a waterer.

 

[lunahills]

@U_Stormcrow and @3KillerBs as well as everyone else...I can’t thank you enough for your advice. I feel slightly more at ease and confident now. We will be building a bigger (and wider) run ASAP, and in the meantime I’m going to use the crate to make a safe place for the little ones inside the run, along with hopefully giving them their own space once my exercise pens arrive. They are all roosting side by side tonight, but daytime seems to be when issues arise.