Blending younger chicks, with older ones....

[CowgirlPenny]

I'm ready to put my 4 week old Ameracuanas out with my 12 older (9wk) old chicks. The 4 weekers are fully feathered (minus a few on the head) its super warm, even at night. I'm not even really concerned with the temp, its them being pecked to death I worry about! lol What is the right way to go about this? I had one out in the yard the other day and my older chicks were trying to attack her through the fence! Do I keep them close, but contained, or just put them in? I'm really worried the older ones will peck the 4 weekers. They tower over them! I also have 3 three week old Buff Orpingtons. Should I add them all in together with the big chicks, or wait a little longer before introducing the younger BOs?

 

[hennyannie]

Yes I have had this happen with chicks, I usually just wait till I'm ready to put them in my big coop and then put everyone in the strange place at one time. I am paranoid so I do it on a day when I can hang out and watch for problems.Also we have took some problem children on car rides before, Of course they were older birds. We would load them in a pet carrier at dusk and ride them around till its dark them put them in a new coop together.

 

[iluvsedward]

ugh, I hate blending, but if you have more younger ones than you have older ones, the older ones sort of get overwhelmed

 

[CowgirlPenny]

Quote:
I have 12 older, and 6 younger (three 4wk old EEs, and three 3wk old BO's) My older 12 have always been alone, and were all from the same order so they have never met a 'new' chick. I do have a much larger run/coop that my rooster lives in, but the fencing is not ready for them yet. Should I introduce them all in the larger run and then put them back in their coop at night after they have been together a few hours?

 

[iluvsedward]

Quote:
I have 12 older, and 6 younger (three 4wk old EEs, and three 3wk old BO's) My older 12 have always been alone, and were all from the same order so they have never met a 'new' chick. I do have a much larger run/coop that my rooster lives in, but the fencing is not ready for them yet. Should I introduce them all in the larger run and then put them back in their coop at night after they have been together a few hours?

I would free range them together for a few days then try really blending them, but watch to see what happens

 

[CowgirlPenny]

Quote:
I have 12 older, and 6 younger (three 4wk old EEs, and three 3wk old BO's) My older 12 have always been alone, and were all from the same order so they have never met a 'new' chick. I do have a much larger run/coop that my rooster lives in, but the fencing is not ready for them yet. Should I introduce them all in the larger run and then put them back in their coop at night after they have been together a few hours?

I would free range them together for a few days then try really blending them, but watch to see what happens

I cannot free range here, but the larger run I mentioned is 25x50, plenty big enough for each to have their own space while they meet and greet. Mine sleep in a coop at night, that I lock...should I lock the newbies in with them each night?

 

[KYChixMama]

Whenever I add a newby to the flock, I shake the whole place up. I clean and rearrange the coop (even move around the feeders and waterers) and toss some treats into the shavings. I scatter scratch and something wonderful (like boiled pasta) to the mix in the yard, and add the newbies. By creating change, it seems to set everyone off balance enough that the new chicken is (for the most part) ignored. I have a large coop and they free-range too, so there's plenty of room for everyone to have personal space until they adjust.

 

[smcjoj3]

Quote:
I like this idea, we just blended some of our chicks yesterday & the older ones acted like it was the end of times. Everything is a little less frantic today thankfully.

 

[KYChixMama]

Quote:
I like this idea, we just blended some of our chicks yesterday & the older ones acted like it was the end of times. Everything is a little less frantic today thankfully.

It seems that when there's lots of new things and fresh changes to investigate, the established flock has less attention to focus on the newby.

 

[Susan Mc]

Personally I'd keep the EEs in with the BOs till they're all ready to go out, wait the extra week if that's what it takes, then put the 6 out together. The attention is distributed among 6 newbies instead of 3, and you only have to go through it once instead of twice with just 3 chicks.
KYChixMama's suggestion is a great one, and probably much easier to implement than alot of other options. Perhaps making the changes and the introduction later in the afternoon might be good, so they're all kept busy exploring and foraging together right until bedtime.
Good luck!