But he's so much smaller... Lonely chick dilemma.

[Init4theeggs]

Where I live, I can have 6 chickens. I started out with 3, and a month later got 2 more. Right now, I have three 10 week old pullets and two 5 week old pullets. I decided to fill the 6th spot with a fancier chick... A polish frizzle chick. I found someone with a chick just a week younger than my 2 younger girls. It's straight run, so I've been calling him a he

My girls are separated in the coop right now because of the size difference. My littles are on coop only stay getting their "home" thing down. I put my new little guy in the coop with my two 5 week olds. I couldn't believe the size difference. They are a Barred Plymouth and a Black Austolorp. The new guy is soooo much smaller than them with just a few day difference in when I was told they were hatched. Is this the breed? They seemed to do well at first, and I kept going back to check on them. The last couple times, I noticed the little newbie hiding in a corner and eventually saw the BR peck at him. I'm new, and terrified they might hurt him, so I have him in a small crate in my room right now. He's eating and drinking and doesn't look hurt. How long should I keep him separate before giving it another try? Is some pecking normal? Would a week age difference really be this big? As others have mentioned, he's fine if I'm in the room, but chirps his little heart out when I leave him alone. I know chicks don't like to be alone, but I shouldn't have more than the 6th.

Any tips? Am I being too protective of my fancy little guy? :/

 

[sourland]

Give him a mirror for company. Sadly bigger chickens pick on smaller chickens. Wait until he is bigger to try to integrate him. Sadly also non crested birds tend to rip out the crests of crested birds so keep an eye on things once you do integrate.

 

[Init4theeggs]

I will do that. Thank you

 

[aart]

You might want to set up a temporary pen with some food and water to help with integration.

First let the littlest chick, the polish, out into it for several hours a day until he gets bigger, it will become his territory.
Then bring one of the middle group into the pen with the polish, see how they get along, if they fight too much remove the middle group bird.....
......once they settle down and start getting along, bring the second of the middle group out with them.
Once those 3 are getting along it will be easier to merge these with the older birds.

It will take some trial and error, and some time each day for a week or more to orchestrate this, but I think it will work in the long run.
I did this, when I had 3 groups of chicks with a 6 week age span, to integrate the older 2 groups.

 

[Init4theeggs]

That sounds like a great plan, aart. I am going to give it a try. Thank you!