Chicks and adult chickens.

[Horsebackgurl98]

I have a flock of 9 and a small flock of 8 who are almost 2 months old. They have been with the big hens from about a month old. Is it safe to coop them up with the big girls?
They haven't shown any aggression.

 

[sourland]

Almost sounds as if they are integrated. Monitor the cooping together for several nights.

 

[Horsebackgurl98]

Almost sounds as if they are integrated. Monitor the cooping together for several nights.

They are out together during the day and coop up in seperate coops at night.

 

[BDutch]

I prefer to let the chicks choose where they want to sleep. If they are ready for this big step they will go to roost with the big ones anyway.

If you force this by closing the chick-coop the chicks can get hurt /traumatised. This really can happen if the chickens start to bully and peck the little ones by nightfall.

 

[Horsebackgurl98]

I prefer to let the chicks choose where they want to sleep. If they are ready for this big step they will go to roost with the big ones anyway.

If you force this by closing the chick-coop the chicks can get hurt /traumatised. This really can happen if the chickens start to bully and peck the little ones by nightfall.

I don't leave the chick coop open cause then the big hens go roost in there. The chick coop has seen better days

 

[Horsebackgurl98]

I'll see where they go

 

[rosemarythyme]

Does your pop door open up into a predator safe/mostly predator safe run?

What I'd do is this: close up the chick coop so they can't use it, and encourage them to follow the adults into that coop. If they don't want to go in, manually put them in (as I integrate when chicks are younger, I actually put them in a cage inside the coop for a few nights before progressing to next stage.)

If you have an auto door, disable it or prop it open. This way the chicks can hightail it out of there if needed once daylight comes. Do this for a few days (3-5 days for me) and if everyone seems to be doing fine, you can go back to closing up at night.

 

[Horsebackgurl98]

Does your pop door open up into a predator safe/mostly predator safe run?

What I'd do is this: close up the chick coop so they can't use it, and encourage them to follow the adults into that coop. If they don't want to go in, manually put them in (as I integrate when chicks are younger, I actually put them in a cage inside the coop for a few nights before progressing to next stage.)

If you have an auto door, disable it or prop it open. This way the chicks can hightail it out of there if needed once daylight comes. Do this for a few days (3-5 days for me) and if everyone seems to be doing fine, you can go back to closing up at night.

I ended up closing them in there at night last night. And everyone did fine! Let them out super early like usual.