Chick integration strategy

[Texas Leghorn]

I am a recreational chicken rancher in Texas. I currently have 15 laying hens with 2 roosters and 13 chicks that are about 55 days old.

Our layout: We live on 3 acres with 2 acres fenced in. The mature chickens free range and roost in a large coop at night. I close them in at night and let them out in the morning. We have a lot of coons etc even with the fence. The 13 chicks are house separately from the mature hens and not yet integrated nor free ranging. The main coop has a roost with a loft, attached is a large fenced in area (15' by 40' and completely critter proof and a tarp to keep the rain out). The main coop has a door leading into the the fenced in area separate from the following: Inside the tarped fence area I built another small, closed in coop (5' by 4' ) with a roof with a door leading to the main coop on one side and another door leading to the fenced in area on the other, which I planned on using for new chicks bought at the local feed store. We decided against using the small coop because of the numbers and we had done this before.

OK here is the question I have a broody hen on 11 eggs in the small coop.She decided to go broody about 16 days ago. She has been in the small coop and doing a good job. She is a Cochin by the way. So I have 17 chickens in the main coop, 13 in a separate building and 11 eggs under a brooding hen. What is a good integration strategy?

Thanks for your help.

 

[JanO]

If I'm reading this right, you have an empty small cage inside the coop. Why not put the chicks in there for a few days to let the older birds get used to them, then open up the gate and let them integrate at will. The babies will stick close together and there will be some pecking order to work out, but in a short while they should all mingle in together. In the mean time let the broody hen do her thing and she'll handle her little brood and their introduction to the flock.

 

[Texas Leghorn]

Thanks for your response, What I have done in the past was to raise the 13 chicks in the other location until they get to size. I then take them to the penned in area and the coop, (one complex) after the mature hens/roosters have gone to roost at night. I then leave them together for a week so that they can reestablish the pecking order. This was the plan this time as well. I was not prepared to accommodate a broody hen but she decide to go ahead anyway.

I didn't feel that I was a true chicken rancher unless we were responsible for shepherding the full process

What is complicating this integration is the small coop, that is in this complex, is where I have the broody hen and her soon to be chicks. I am not sure if the 13 "chicks" are old enough to integrate (47days) with the mature chickens. I usually waited until they were 3 months old. Your thoughts? I could integrate the smaller chicks (13) with the mature chickens now and then turn them loose to free range, let momma keep her chicks in the small coop (6' long 4' wide and about 4" high) until they get old enough to move to the complex fenced area then go through the integration process again later. What do you think?

Any input or alternatives are welcome. I am just processing alternatives and talking through the plan.

John