Can I Put 2 Month Olds With Adults?

[ButtonHoarder]

Prob the wrong forum, but meh. Can I put two month old chicks with my adult layers? Thanks

 

[gmtMasterB]

My experience is sometimes yes....sometimes no. A couple of my hens are real stinkers.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Look in the article section under integration. Most do the “look don’t touch” method. It works most of the time but can take several weeks or even longer.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They need to be integrated in, just as you would adult chickens to adult chickens. At 2 months they're really too big to do a panic opening type integration as you would with young chicks.

 

[Sonya9]

Consider setting up a chick crib which is a fenced off area with openings that the chicks can enter/exit but the big birds can't, that way the chicks have their own safe area with their own food/water dishes and they won't be harassed too much.

Just pen the chicks in it for a couple of days before allowing them to exit that way they won't panic and forget it is there., instead they will think of it as home base and venture out slowly.

Course it depends on your adults and how aggressive or accepting they are.

 

[aart]

They need to be integrated in, just as you would adult chickens to adult chickens. At 2 months they're really too big to do a panic opening type integration as you would with young chicks.

Ditto Dat.

Can I put two month old chicks with my adult layers?

Have you done an integration before?

How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
How many birds(old and young) are we talking about?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.

Here's some tips about....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[ButtonHoarder]

Have you done an integration before?

Nope, but I wanna learn

How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
How many birds(old and young) are we talking about?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.

I can’t remember, but we figured out that it can hold 30 adult chickens.
Currently, there’s 10 hens and a rooster, and if I get these younger birds ( they aren’t mine yet ) there will be 5 of them.

Here's some tips about....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

Ok, I will do those things
Thanks

 

[aart]

I can’t remember,

Take the tape measure out... with the camera