Coop-Brooded Chicks Integration

[Mikski]

Hello! I had a broody mama this spring and so I gave her two chicks (I don’t have a rooster). She quickly accepted them and was a fantastic mother. She raised them in the coop alongside the rest of my flock. They are now 11-12 weeks old and have been trying to sleep in the nesting boxes every night. I go out and move them over to the roost, but I think the issue is that the other chickens peck at them when they roost nearby. I can’t blame them, I wouldn’t want to sleep in that situation either. What can I do to help these babies? Thanks.

Added a pic of the girls from a couple weeks ago and then some cute ones of my BCM doing her mama thing!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Are the roosts pictured the ones they're not being allowed to sleep on with the flock?

Or do you have roosts in an enclosed coop? Can you get photos of the coop set up in that case?

 

[Mikski]

Are the roosts pictured the ones they're not being allowed to sleep on with the flock?

Or do you have roosts in an enclosed coop? Can you get photos of the coop set up in that case?

No, those roosts are out in the run and my girls just lounge on them during the day sometimes. I have an enclosed coop. This is an old pic, but the setup is the same (minus the very lowest roost that we just had in there for “practice” a couple years ago). 2 levels of roosts on the left side with nesting boxes on the right (closed in this pic but open now as most my hens are laying).

 

[rosemarythyme]

No, those roosts are out in the run and my girls just lounge on them during the day sometimes. I have an enclosed coop. This is an old pic, but the setup is the same (minus the very lowest roost that we just had in there for “practice” a couple years ago). 2 levels of roosts on the left side with nesting boxes on the right (closed in this pic but open now as most my hens are laying).

How many older birds do you have and do you know how they roost at night? Ideally they'd be all on the top roost let's say, so the lower one could be used by the chicks so they wouldn't get harassed. But if they're occupying both roosts maybe a return of the practice roost would help for a short while.

 

[Mikski]

How many older birds do you have and do you know how they roost at night? Ideally they'd be all on the top roost let's say, so the lower one could be used by the chicks so they wouldn't get harassed. But if they're occupying both roosts maybe a return of the practice roost would help for a short while.

I have 10 older birds. They do typically all use the top roost. But they still give the 2 youngins a sharp peck from above if the littles are below them (unless the big girls are turned around facing the wall/window).

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I have 10 older birds. They do typically all use the top roost. But they still give the 2 youngins a sharp peck from above if the littles are below them (unless the big girls are turned around facing the wall/window).

Is it just "a sharp peck", or is it more peck peck peck peck peck...? One peck might be a reminder to the little ones where they are in the pecking order, especially if they're trying to cuddle up to the older ones on the top roost. Harassment is a different story.

 

[Mrs. K]

Late in the afternoon close up the nests, before the go to roost. I have gone to the effort to make more roosts at lower heights but mine ignore those. Instead move that lowest roost straight up or maybe more towards the nest to the same height as the other top roost. If my interpretation of the picture is right, a hen on one roost won’t be able to reach a hen on the other.

Another trick, is to use a large piece of of cardboard so that it spits the roost into two parts. Once a bird is roosted, she can’t see or reach who is roosted on the other side.