Chicks heat and how to introduce

[HippieAtHeart]

So I am new to chickens and was gifted a flock of chickens, 5 hens and 1 rooster. We got 3 chicks which are now almost 6 weeks old. I have a heating plate in the brooder but they just huddle together in the corner. It’s been very hot this past week and will most likely just stay hot. I have a few questions about moving them to the big chicken coop as we need to do it ASAP.

1. Do they need the heating plate anymore as it won’t get below 70 degrees even at night?

2. How long do you let the big chickens see but not touch for?

3. What can I give them to hide under/in to get away from big chickens if needed (I don’t really want to have to buy anything but I am pretty handy)?

Any help is appreciated!

 

[Peppercorngal]

No, your chicks do not need heat now. They should be almost completely feathered with exception of their little heads, so it's not necessary in any weather. The sooner you integrate the better it will be! The smaller the chick the less of a threat it seems to the adult chickens. The bigger they get before integration they can become seen as the enemy, taking "their" food, getting into "their' space, etc. I like to integrate at 4 weeks and I use a wire fencing that I fit over the door of the brooder. The chicks can fit between and go in and out, but the hens can't fit. They have to stay out. The chicks have a safe place to run to when they get scared and the hens can't get in and eat the chick food. I had a group of 5 chicks that wouldn't leave the brooder coop no matter what. After a week I just opened the door and let the big chickens in with them! That did the trick! Good Luck!

 

[333113]

You will want to maintain See-but-not-touch until the big chickens don't injure the little chickens, so that's something you just have to watch for. There's going to be some pecking, you just don't want to see blood! You will want to be around when you put them together, and then, you are right, you will want the little guys to be able to get away if they feel too pecked on.

A good solution would be any smaller container that the littles can get into that the bigs cannot get into. This can be a dog crate with a small opening, a corner of the pen wired off, etc. (I use a traditional wire dog crate with a brick blocking the door from closing completely, and another brick keeping the door from coming open.)

Put food and water in the littles area, in case they are too intimidated by the bigs. This restricted area would be a good place to put the heater and the chick starter feed. At some point the littles will want to roost at night with the bigs, and they will stop retreating to the littles area. That will be just about the time they won't need chick starter, too.

 

[RRM]

As for the heat plate, you should be able to take it away completely as they are probably feathered out since they’re six weeks old.
Where are the chicks/brooder kept now?
To introduce to the big uns, they need to be in a separate run with their own roosting area next to or inside the big chickens run for the ”look don’t touch” period of a week or so. After that, give them a least two little door ways that are big enough for the chicks to go into the big run, but small enough a big chicken can’t get into the chicks run. This provides the chicks an escape route of the adult birds are getting to rough.
After a couple weeks of this, the adult birds should be pretty much used to them, you’ll know when it’s safe to let them mingle 100% of the time by observation.
The chicks will be subject to the pecking order for the adults but that’s just part of nature.

 

[HippieAtHeart]

No, your chicks do not need heat now. They should be almost completely feathered with exception of their little heads, so it's not necessary in any weather. The sooner you integrate the better it will be! The smaller the chick the less of a threat it seems to the adult chickens. The bigger they get before integration they can become seen as the enemy, taking "their" food, getting into "their' space, etc. I like to integrate at 4 weeks and I use a wire fencing that I fit over the door of the brooder. The chicks can fit between and go in and out, but the hens can't fit. They have to stay out. The chicks have a safe place to run to when they get scared and the hens can't get in and eat the chick food. I had a group of 5 chicks that wouldn't leave the brooder coop no matter what. After a week I just opened the door and let the big chickens in with them! That did the trick! Good Luck!

View attachment 2228547

Thank you for the info! I unplugged their heating plate tonight as I am sure they don’t need it and you confirmed that. My brooder is not in or near my coop, but I will come up with something else to let them get in and out of

 

[HippieAtHeart]

You will want to maintain See-but-not-touch until the big chickens don't injure the little chickens, so that's something you just have to watch for. There's going to be some pecking, you just don't want to see blood! You will want to be around when you put them together, and then, you are right, you will want the little guys to be able to get away if they feel too pecked on.

A good solution would be any smaller container that the littles can get into that the bigs cannot get into. This can be a dog crate with a small opening, a corner of the pen wired off, etc. (I use a traditional wire dog crate with a brick blocking the door from closing completely, and another brick keeping the door from coming open.)

Put food and water in the littles area, in case they are too intimidated by the bigs. This restricted area would be a good place to put the heater and the chick starter feed. At some point the littles will want to roost at night with the bigs, and they will stop retreating to the littles area. That will be just about the time they won't need chick starter, too.

Thank you for your reply I love the idea of using the dog crate, I am so going to do that! I have a feeling my other chickens won’t be too mean but you never know, I’ve had to reintroduce 2 hens already from different issues and i learned which hens were nice and which to look out for! Definitely supervised visits.

 

[HippieAtHeart]

As for the heat plate, you should be able to take it away completely as they are probably feathered out since they’re six weeks old.
Where are the chicks/brooder kept now?
To introduce to the big uns, they need to be in a separate run with their own roosting area next to or inside the big chickens run for the ”look don’t touch” period of a week or so. After that, give them a least two little door ways that are big enough for the chicks to go into the big run, but small enough a big chicken can’t get into the chicks run. This provides the chicks an escape route of the adult birds are getting to rough.
After a couple weeks of this, the adult birds should be pretty much used to them, you’ll know when it’s safe to let them mingle 100% of the time by observation.
The chicks will be subject to the pecking order for the adults but that’s just part of nature.

I don’t really have a superset run but I think I’m going to rig something with a dog crate as mentioned above which should work. I will only do supervised visits until I’m sure they are good together. Thank you for your help!

 

[rosemarythyme]

My integration advice is all here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/short-on-time-recycle-a-prefab-brooder.73985/ I have examples of how I laid out my obstacles to optimally provide hiding spots (I really didn't buy anything for it, other than a jungle gym we got on a whim... anything that's chicken safe can be used).

As far as see-but-not-touch, 1-2 weeks should be enough, but you need to decide how long by watching how your hens react. Ideally you want them to show little to no interest in the fact that the chicks are there.

 

[HippieAtHeart]

My integration advice is all here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/short-on-time-recycle-a-prefab-brooder.73985/ I have examples of how I laid out my obstacles to optimally provide hiding spots (I really didn't buy anything for it, other than a jungle gym we got on a whim... anything that's chicken safe can be used).

As far as see-but-not-touch, 1-2 weeks should be enough, but you need to decide how long by watching how your hens react. Ideally you want them to show little to no interest in the fact that the chicks are there.

Thank you for the link, I enjoyed reading through your article. I like how you repurposed the prefab coop, I will have to do something like that in the future. I will have to take the chicks in at night but otherwise I should be able to have them out in a dog crate during the day. I like how you did the mini run with wire while they learned how to get in and out to safety, I will most likely do that as I have left over wire I can sue for it. Thank you for helping me!