Crowd source check on Integration Plan

[Gwethrien]

3 Hens are RIR about 8-9 months old. They free range in back yard, lots of bush and cover.

3 Chicks were acquired as “day old” on July 1 (Best I can tell looks like they were hatched at least few days earlier). One Black Australorp (big girl and she knows it very friendly), 1 golden laced Wyandotte (prima Donna a bit more reserved, and one EE (VERY active).

They have been in brooder since then with strict bio security since hens are IB carriers. Brooder has been in either in garage or house (we have had some 100+ degree days and garage gets hot.

They go their vaccine dose yesterday (I’m not a vet and it was more than an ordeal). They need to be separate for least 7 days after vaccine. They are on medicated chick starter feed. Right now they have rice hulls with a sand section in brooder. They have had no lamp for about 2 days- thermometer low is mid 70s.

We are allowing field trips to the front yard with baby gate pen under supervision this week.

So far no health issues for chicks, they are feather out and growing well.

INTEGRATION PLAN

Next weekend we would move chicks to total secure under coop run (24 sq ft). It will be closed off- See but no touch. Temps will be high upper 90s low around 60. I would put up walls on back 3rd about 10 Sq ft. Whole coop set up is under a a large tree covered with wild grape vines it is very sheltered/comfortable from elements. I’m not worried about temperature regulation- should I be?

After some days up to a week of see no touch, I was planning to have some supervised chick visits. I was going to set up baby gate pen lifted so chicks could get to safety away from hens if needed.

Depending on how well our introduction sessions go, about a week after when chicks are about 5 weeks old I would start having a coop sleep over and hopefully everything goes just fine and we can all be one big happy flock.

I keep main food and water in under run. I have another big waterer in yard. I will be setting up more feeders and waterers once every is combined. Everyone will be on grower food at that point with lots of egg shell/oyster shell available for supplement.

What have I not planned for?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Sounds pretty good. How much clutter is available in your run space? If not much, adding some as chicks begin interacting with older birds would be recommended, to provide safe hiding spots and to serve as a bit of distraction to older birds as well.

 

[Gwethrien]

Sounds pretty good. How much clutter is available in your run space? If not much, adding some as chicks begin interacting with older birds would be recommended, to provide safe hiding spots and to serve as a bit of distraction to older birds as well.

Yard has abundance of clutter specifically under tree we have many logs and stumps.

 

[Gwethrien]

Tonight is first night out in the coop for 3 week olds, of course forecast is a little cooler than the previous week down to 59 degree Fahrenheit

They have warm first floor apartment of coop with insulated box and fresh straw. Thermometer reads in 70s. They are snuggled together. They have most of their feathers.

I will check on them again and again and again.

 

[Gwethrien]

Happy update. So far everything has gone smoothly. We did a full week of see don’t touch. Then we did some mini intro sessions with a lifted baby gate as safety zone. First session alpha and beta did some charging and chasing, Mac my bottom girl seems determined to stay at bottom and was chased by the chicks. After a week of highly supervised introductions we have full day free range with lots of check ins everyone is doing just fine, only Lettie will give a little chase here and there but for the most part everyone seems to have accepted new normal. We just finished second sleepover in coop all together. Besides littles taking longer to quiet down and getting some side eye from older girls things have gone well and I’m almost ready to breath sigh of relief.