combing chicks and hens

[Chickenhugger2]

I have six week old chicks that are getting cramped in their current location. I have a huge chicken yard and coop that houses 13 hens . I can open the yard up so they can free range too. i am considering letting the older girls out to free range and putting the six week old chicks (13) in their fenced run for the day. They would be separate but could see each other. Then I was going to try to get them all in the same coop for the night. Does this sound feasible? or like a big mistake?

 

[ADozenGirlz]

I have six week old chicks that are getting cramped in their current location. I have a huge chicken yard and coop that houses 13 hens . I can open the yard up so they can free range too. i am considering letting the older girls out to free range and putting the six week old chicks (13) in their fenced run for the day. They would be separate but could see each other. Then I was going to try to get them all in the same coop for the night. Does this sound feasible? or like a big mistake?

The daytime plan is brilliant but they need to be a little older before you can let them have physical contact with the older chickens (say 8-12 weeks old) I don't let them roost together until they are able to range safely next to one another. This link will confirm what you already instinctively know about familiarizing them with each other and I hope it gives you a little more to think about when trying to join your two groups.
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/06/integrating-new-flock-members-playpen.html

 

[4-H chicken mom]

I agree with ADozengirlz. They are too young to be put with the older hens.

 

[Chickenhugger2]

Thank you for the input and the advice. My older hens free range everyday and have seen the newbies at their leisure in the brooder which is a horse stall that has been secured. They dont see them every minute of eveyday... but they know they are there. My concern with the playpen method is that they will have no shelter from the sun if I fence them. or if i lock out the free rangers, how will i collect the newbies to get them back i the brooder at night? I may have to put up another string of chicken wire on posts. yeesh! Do you think they have had enough exposure from just passing by the brooder? The link to chicken chick was great! Thank you!

 

[LaynaDon95]

6 weeks is the minimum age for introducing chicks to hens. If you can wait longer, I would. However, if there really isn't enough room you can do it now. You'll have to supervise until you know the chicks can handle the older girls.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Thank you for the input and the advice. My older hens free range everyday and have seen the newbies at their leisure in the brooder which is a horse stall that has been secured. They dont see them every minute of eveyday... but they know they are there. My concern with the playpen method is that they will have no shelter from the sun if I fence them. or if i lock out the free rangers, how will i collect the newbies to get them back i the brooder at night? I may have to put up another string of chicken wire on posts. yeesh! Do you think they have had enough exposure from just passing by the brooder? The link to chicken chick was great! Thank you!

You could take a tarp and cover the temporary run with a tarp to shelter them from the sun. They really need to be near one another in order for this integration to go smoothly.

 

[Chickenhugger2]

Well I think I have a plan that will work. I am like macgiver with chicken wire and zip ties! Lol I modified an existing shade shelter into a pen for the "teenagers". They will be inside a fence, inside a fence. A friend loaned me a rabbit cage that I wrapped in hardware cloth to protect them from any predators that might want to " rattle their cage". Then I bought a tarp and wrapped it to keep it cozy at roosting time. I sure hope they don't get eaten ! Two fences and hardware cloth hopefully will keep the bad guys out. I am thinking two weeks and they should all be familiar with each other, then the next transition will be getting them in the same coop at night. Thanks for all the input.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Well I think I have a plan that will work. I am like macgiver with chicken wire and zip ties! Lol I modified an existing shade shelter into a pen for the "teenagers". They will be inside a fence, inside a fence. A friend loaned me a rabbit cage that I wrapped in hardware cloth to protect them from any predators that might want to " rattle their cage". Then I bought a tarp and wrapped it to keep it cozy at roosting time. I sure hope they don't get eaten ! Two fences and hardware cloth hopefully will keep the bad guys out. I am thinking two weeks and they should all be familiar with each other, then the next transition will be getting them in the same coop at night. Thanks for all the input.

The integration pen isn't intended for them to sleep in. They should be brought inside a garage, basement, spare coop or some other safe facility at night. There will be a problem with predators otherwise.