Can 4 week olds integrate with 12 week olds?

[MamaDoolittle]

Hopefully someone can help me. We had 3 chicks and unfortunately one died last week. We are getting 2 babies to round out our small flock. I'm just wondering when the new chicks can mix with my slightly older girls? I'm guestimating that the 2 older girls will be about 12 weeks when the 2 new ones will be ready to move into the coop.

Also, we only have one coop and run. I did keep the first girls, Agnes, Evelyn, & Betty (RIP) locked in the coop for a week or more when the first left the brooder. They now love going out to their run in the morning. They are even beginning to put themselves to bed at night (yeah!). When the new girls join them, do they need to be shut in the coop? Or will they just follow the lead of the older girls?

Thanks from a newbie Mom.

 

[azygous]

Yes is the answer to your question. The secret to its success is to have plenty of room and a place for the smalls to retreat to when the pressure of the pecking order overwhelms them. I call this the panic room method of integration.

I begin merging chicks at around three weeks old using this method, and it's been highly successful after nine batches of baby chicks. I'm now on the tenth batch and these less-than-one-week olds are already residing in the run inside their own secure pen, becoming part of the flock by proximity. This makes the integration in a few weeks a breeze because the flock already accepts them as members.

A temporary or permanent pen with small 5x7" openings that the older ones can't squeeze through that contains food and water for the smalls so they don't have to compete for these essentials is key.

Extra "furniture" in the run also helps, providing foils to jump on, hide behind, and to interrupt the pursuing older bullies.

Those that insist you need to wait until chicks are full grown have never heard of the panic room method. It greatly reduces the age you can integrate chicks while reducing the time and trouble involved.

 

[junebuggena]

Yes is the answer to your question. The secret to its success is to have plenty of room and a place for the smalls to retreat to when the pressure of the pecking order overwhelms them. I call this the panic room method of integration.

I begin merging chicks at around three weeks old using this method, and it's been highly successful after nine batches of baby chicks. I'm now on the tenth batch and these less-than-one-week olds are already residing in the run inside their own secure pen, becoming part of the flock by proximity. This makes the integration in a few weeks a breeze because the flock already accepts them as members.

A temporary or permanent pen with small 5x7" openings that the older ones can't squeeze through that contains food and water for the smalls so they don't have to compete for these essentials is key.

Extra "furniture" in the run also helps, providing foils to jump on, hide behind, and to interrupt the pursuing older bullies.

Those that insist you need to wait until chicks are full grown have never heard of the panic room method. It greatly reduces the age you can integrate chicks while reducing the time and trouble involved.

x2
Integration can be done, but it must be done very carefully. And things can still go wrong. No integration method is without risks. A 'get to know you' period for a few weeks or so is important. The flock can see, hear, and interact with the new birds; but they can't touch. Gradual exposure and lots of space and obstacles are essential.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would keep the little ones fenced off in the back of the coop with food and water, and a low watt heat lamp over them in case they are cold until they are 6-7 weeks old, to make sure they know where they sleep at night. As they get a little older they can mingle with lots of places to escape. I would supervise there interactions when you put them together. Most chickens need to be similar in size to one another to keep little ones from getting hurt. Certain breeds can be very docile, but others can be bullies in a mixed flock. Here is my integration coop and roost which is easily taken apart and put away, netting added over the top, or poultry netting for chicks added to the sides: