beak trim or not to save younger chickens?

[newchickenmom33]

. We have to figure something out. The older pullets never bother or peck each other.

I don’t even begin to know how to expand the true coop... woul

I agree. That coop is nowhere near large enough for 8. I wouldn't put more than 3 in that tiny space.

ouch! Currently only the 5 older chickens sleep in there and they appear comfortable and gladly enter on their own when it starts to get dark. There is two roosting bars inside but they all perch on the back one or sit near the rear of the coop. We still have opened up the nesting boxes. I’m not sure how much bigger they will get but they’re in there to sleep and come out as soon as the sun is up.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Minimum recommended space is often not enough for integration as it still doesn't give chicks space to get far away from adults to stop harassment. Clipping beaks or using pinless peepers isn't a magic bullet, it's still not addressing the root cause of the problem.

You need to find a way to give them more coop and run space, then put in obstacles for the chicks to hide behind/under, and multiple feed stations (if the bigs aren't letting the littles eat) OR keep both sides separate until you can do so, because it might not end well for the little ones if blood is already being drawn.

 

[newchickenmom33]

Minimum recommended space is often not enough for integration as it still doesn't give chicks space to get far away from adults to stop harassment. Clipping beaks or using pinless peepers isn't a magic bullet, it's still not addressing the root cause of the problem.

You need to find a way to give them more coop and run space, then put in obstacles for the chicks to hide behind/under, and multiple feed stations (if the bigs aren't letting the littles eat) OR keep both sides separate until you can do so, because it might not end well for the little ones if blood is already being drawn.

I’m searching the internet now about building a larger run. I really thought I did the math and they had enough room. The really don’t have a place to “hide”. I will keep them apart again where they can only see each other until we make some expansion. If they need space we will make more room or we may need to rehome the babies.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Having places to hide really is helpful with integration because for chickens out of sight is out of mind. Hiding spots don't have to be fancy. You can use things you find around the yard or for free - pallets, old patio furniture, tree stumps. Downside is all this "stuff" takes up space, which means having ample run space to use.

My run right now really does look like an obstacle course. No injuries except a plucked tail feather or two, and the chicks have been in the same run with the adults since 2 1/2 weeks or so?

 

[lazy gardener]

If I'm looking at your prefab coop/run correctly, it is 7' long, 3.5' wide, and 5' tall. The actual coop part is most likely 3.5 x 3.5. That is at most big enough for 2 - 3 birds. The coop space for the babies is only 8 s.f.: only big enough for 2 birds. If you intend to keep all 8 birds, you should have MORE than 4 s.f./bird in coop and 10 s.f./bird in the run. I say more, b/c integration takes more space than the minimum recommendation.

 

[newchickenmom33]

If I'm looking at your prefab coop/run correctly, it is 7' long, 3.5' wide, and 5' tall. The actual coop part is most likely 3.5 x 3.5. That is at most big enough for 2 - 3 birds. The coop space for the babies is only 8 s.f.: only big enough for 2 birds. If you intend to keep all 8 birds, you should have MORE than 4 s.f./bird in coop and 10 s.f./bird in the run. I say more, b/c integration takes more space than the minimum recommendation.

Thanks. Well we started construction today on making the run larger 19 ft by 8 ft. The actual coop expansion will have to occur later. Right now our main concern is safety so they are just separate until we can make the adjustments. I realize there is suggested recommendation but even in real life some families live 6 to a studio apartment or only 4 in a 3000 sq ft home. The coop says it’s for up to 8 bird and obviously that may not be the case. The 5 have been in the since 8 weeks old and seem very comfortable the babies may have to have a separate coop but we will try and figure it out once the run is done. Hopefully by tomorrow.

 

[newchickenmom33]

Do people have two coops and then share a run? My head hurts trying to figure this all out.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do people have two coops and then share a run? My head hurts trying to figure this all out.

You could do that, I suppose. I'm expecting all my chicks to eventually be part of the flock, so one bigger coop will do in that case.

The coop says it’s for up to 8 bird and obviously that may not be the case.

It's for 8 birds by minimal factory farm standards. You'd be amazed at how tight that is. My zoning ordinances only require 1 sq ft per bird, which if you look at a full grown chicken, they pretty much take up 1 sq ft just standing there. How are they supposed to move or do anything else like that? I'd like to think that most backyard keepers would want their birds to have a better standard of living than that.

 

[lilmillefleur]

Do people have two coops and then share a run? My head hurts trying to figure this all out.

We did this once, but the littles still wanted to sleep with the bigs. you would probably have to keep them in henhouse #2 for a few days to train them to stay in there.

 

[coach723]

Right now our main concern is safety so they are just separate until we can make the adjustments. I realize there is suggested recommendation but even in real life some families live 6 to a studio apartment or only 4 in a 3000 sq ft home. The coop says it’s for up to 8 bird and obviously that may not be the case. The 5 have been in the since 8 weeks old and seem very comfortable the babies may have to have a separate coop but we will try and figure it out once the run is done. Hopefully by tomorrow.

The logic for how humans live doesn't translate to other species very well. Cramming a lot of people into a small apartment does not USUALLY result in violence, blood being drawn, and cannibalism. All things that can happen when you enclose too many animals in too small a space. It's just a different thing all together. And integrating new birds into an established flock requires space. If you keep chickens for any length of time this is a process that you will repeat periodically, so planning for it ahead of time will make it go smoother. Space required can vary greatly depending on all the variables involved, but anytime you upset an established flock things can change drastically. One bird with the right/wrong personality can change the amount of space necessary by a lot. Recommendations are just that, recommendations. You have to do and provide, in actual practice, that which works to have a content and healthy flock, and that may be a lot more than the 'recommendation'. When there is conflict in the coop, something needs to be changed. But the more space you provide the better off it will be. More is better always, it's hard to have 'too much space', much easier to have not enough. Safety should be a priority, so glad you are thinking along those lines. I wish you well, sincerely, it's a learning curve with chickens, and as time goes by it will feel simpler.