Early chick integration

[dbounds10]

Hi Peeps! I am wanting to do the early chick integration method but I can’t wrap my head around how to make it work. I have four 3 week olds that I want to integrate with an existing flock of 8 hens and a rooster that are 1 year old. I read @rosemarythyme article but having trouble applying to my set up. Here are a couple pics/video of my brooder, my coop/run and our 10 day forecast. The brooder I have them in is my only option unless there is something very simple I can make myself as my husband is down with knee surgery. The brooder would fit through the coop door but there is no place inside it would fit except right in the big middle of the floor and would take a large portion of the floor space and block the nesting boxes. These babies are almost 3 weeks old now based on what the breeder told me. They no longer want to be under the brooder plate and hang out under the very secure heat lamp. They are in my temperature controlled shop that stays around 75. I can run electricity to the coop if I need to. They are Ayam Cemani.
Any ideas?

IMG_4330.mov

• dbounds10
• Feb 28, 2024

IMG_4339.mov

• dbounds10
• Feb 28, 2024

 

[rosemarythyme]

Gonna post this here so anyone chiming in can see what's already been discussed.

Are they using the heat plate at all or do they stay under the heat lamp for heat? With your temps I would axe the heat lamp completely at this point.

As far as brooder placement... how hard is it to move in and out? Because I see you have some dry days, but some rainy days on the perimeter as well. If it's not too difficult I'd think about moving the brooder to the run on dry days, as the adults spend more time in the run and this will give them more exposure to the chicks.

If moving it is not feasible, then putting it in the coop is fine, the adults should have no issue going around when getting off the roost as long as the brooder isn't so long that it spans the floor space of the coop.

Figure on having the chicks in see but don't touch for 1-2 weeks. What I look for is the adults to stop showing too much interest in them before I let them out to mingle.

They do not use the brooder plate unless I scare them and they run under it. Every time I go check on them they are either eating or taking a nap under the lamp. The shop stays at about 75 degrees with my heaters running in there costing me a fortune. So the brooder is wrapped in hardware cloth on three side and there is no way I can move it by myself. It would require 2 people to move it. So I could get it in the coop this weekend and leave it there but at 48 inches wide by 25 inches tall, it will take a huge portion of floor space and maybe block the nesting boxes. I have never moved chicks outside that were not fully feathered and it freaks me out a little to put them out there with no heat just cold turkey. Ugh I really want to do this but moving it in and out of the run on the daily just isn’t an option.

Ok so first thing I need to know, is running the heat out to the coop an option? Because I was going by the assumption that power would not be an issue. If heat cannot be provided out there you need to FULLY wean them off inside right now, and then address integration, rather than do both at the same time.

I don't know if Ayam Cemani have a higher requirement for heat, but as a general rule a standard sized, healthy 3 week old that has been acclimating naturally would likely not need heat during daytime with your predicted highs of 72-81. They probably wouldn't even need it at 2 weeks. They would need a draft free place to huddle, which of course the coop would count. They'd only need the option at night when temps cool off.

So right now I'd worry about getting them off heat first, and focus on that for the next week. After that... you don't happen to have any spare chicken wire, garden stakes and twist ties do you?

 

[rosemarythyme]

So for weaning them off heat, I'd kill two out of three heat sources right off the bat - if the shop stays heated no matter what, then you can probably turn off the heat lamp and that should encourage the chicks to use the plate if they should need it. If the shop doesn't need to be heated then I'd turn that off, give them an extra day with heat lamp so they can adjust, and then axe the lamp, leaving the plate. Turn off plate after another 4-5 days.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

3 weeks is pretty young to just move them out there. I personally would start by putting them out on warmer days, and putting them back in the brooder at night or when it's too cool out. You need to wait until they are fully weaned off of extra heat to move them permanently out.

It's easy enough to put together a smaller fenced in area for them. I used to put mine out with a 5 gallon bucket on it's side for cover. It also heats up in the sun and can provide extra heat.  I used a section of garden fencing that is 3 feet by 10 feet and I form a circle with it. It's sturdy enough to stand alone and is easy to move about. It doesn't need to be elaborate but it does need to keep the adults out.

When chicks are fully weaned they can start staying out full time, but will still need an area of their own to go back into for a while to keep them safe.

 

[dbounds10]

Gonna post this here so anyone chiming in can see what's already been discussed.

@rosemarythyme I can run an extension cord to the coop. And I can also start weaning them off heat in the shop asap. I will remove the brooder plate and turn off the heater in the shop and at that point they would only have the heat lamp. I have chicken wire and zip ties coming out my ears.

 

[rosemarythyme]

@rosemarythyme I can run an extension cord to the coop. And I can also start weaning them off heat in the shop asap. I will remove the brooder plate and turn off the heater in the shop and at that point they would only have the heat lamp.

Ok, so let's work on getting them off heat first. Integration will come after so that way you know they can stay out during days without issue.

I have chicken wire and zip ties coming out my ears.

Reason I asked is because I think it'd be simpler to just section off a corner of the run than to worry about moving the brooder around due to weather and such.

This is a really sloppy version of what I'm talking about, the chicken wire here was only left up for about 2 hours so I didn't bother securing it to the fence or anything. But basically if you can twist tie the ends of some chicken wire to your run fence, then you have a chick area that you can easily adjust as far as size and such.

Terrible edit, but you could just stretch the chicken wire across one corner of the run (hot pink lines on left) like so. You might need a piece as a "lid" too BTW, depending on how tall your wire is. Put a box or bucket on its side as well, held down by bricks, and that'll give them a bit of wind shelter if it's needed:

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Your coop is really cute but "early" integration and limited space don't go very well together. Is it easy or hard to move the next boxes that you're worried about? They are to small to encounter a roo and hens in a small space with nowhere to get away from them without a slowish integration, IMO. I know some people talk about just tossing them out there but not me.... I don't really put alot of effort into raising babies and then roll the dice like that. Sounds like you don't either. Your temps look really good as of Friday! If the brooder won't fit in the coop, can you section them off with some wire in the run starting Friday? I made these crude little fence panels out of scraps for integration... But mine are in the coop as of about 1 week, on heat, see no touch; then split the run with fence panels while bigs are out free-ranging, littles can dart out into run and back into their own area via small opening. If they get stuck out in the bigs part of the run, I have intentional junk for them to get under..... I think you can be successful; it just takes effort and patience.

 

[dbounds10]

Ok, so let's work on getting them off heat first. Integration will come after so that way you know they can stay out during days without issue.

Reason I asked is because I think it'd be simpler to just section off a corner of the run than to worry about moving the brooder around due to weather and such.

This is a really sloppy version of what I'm talking about, the chicken wire here was only left up for about 2 hours so I didn't bother securing it to the fence or anything. But basically if you can twist tie the ends of some chicken wire to your run fence, then you have a chick area that you can easily adjust as far as size and such.
View attachment 3759675

Terrible edit, but you could just stretch the chicken wire across one corner of the run (hot pink lines on left) like so. You might need a piece as a "lid" too BTW, depending on how tall your wire is. Put a box or bucket on its side as well, held down by bricks, and that'll give them a bit of wind shelter if it's needed:
View attachment 3759677

But what about at night? I just put them in the coop with everyone else? I’m afraid they would murdered in the morning lol. Here is their current feather development

 

[rosemarythyme]

But what about at night? I just put them in the coop with everyone else? I’m afraid they would murdered in the morning lol. Here is their current feather development

Assuming you're talking about sectioning off part of the run, at night you'd bring them back into the unheated brooder still located in the shop, OR you move the brooder into the coop (which sounds like the more difficult thing). I integrate in the run first, moving into the coop is the last step.

 

[dbounds10]

Ok, I removed the brooding plate and turned off one of the window unit heaters in the shop. It will get colder in there tonight then they are used to but still have one heater on and the lamp in the brooder. The shop is 30 ft wide and 40 ft tall and metal so it gets cold in there. I really appreciate your help! How gradual do I remove heat sources? Not cold turkey right?