Early integration help

[JAR26]

Hi! I just moved my 4 week old plymouth chicks with my 3 adult bovin brown. My adults have had the run of the huge coop and run for several months. I put the chicks in the coop but with a cage so the big girls can't get to them. I let the chicks get used to the new home for about 1 hour and then I let the big girls in. Wellllll.....the adults ARE NOT happy. They took one look at the new residents and turned right back around and have not stopped squawking for the last 1.5 hours and refuse to go in the coop. Of course the little ones are scared of all the noise. Should I be concerned? I read up about slow intergration but now I'm concerned the adults wont eat or drink (all their food and water are in the coop) and the babies will be over stressed with all the noise. Ive attached a picture of the set up. Maybe i'm being a mother hen and worrying too mucha

 

[sourland]

Chickens hate change, and it sounds as if your older hens are scared of the chicks and their cage.

 

[JAR26]

Chickens hate change, and it sounds as if your older hens are scared of the chicks and their cage.

Should I just give them more time? I'm hoping they will go in when it gets dark and they have to go sleep but i'm scared they will decide to just stay out and lay eggs outside. If they stay out, i will physically put them on their roostbar for the night I think.

 

[JAR26]

Should I just give them more time? I'm hoping they will go in when it gets dark and they have to go sleep but i'm scared they will decide to just stay out and lay eggs outside. If they stay out, i will physically put them on their roostbar for the night I think.

Ps: i did also put the empty cage in there a couple of days before and they had no issues with it...were very curious about it. So it's definitely the new residents they are scared of lol

 

[rosemarythyme]

They need more time - change is scary, they don't understand what the chicks are. Might have to manually put them in tonight, but hopefully they'll get brave enough to venture in and take a look at the chicks and realize that they're in no danger.

 

[JAR26]

They need more time - change is scary, they don't understand what the chicks are. Might have to manually put them in tonight, but hopefully they'll get brave enough to venture in and take a look at the chicks and realize that they're in no danger.

Thanks for advise! They eventually went in the coop themselves (much later than they normally do) and took their usual spot on the roost except they havent stopped squawking very loudly for an hour now. They havent left their roost but everytime the chicks go 'peep', the big girls seems to hate it. Also, both the chicks (now 4 weeks old) and the adults were raised without any lights at night so i'm wondering if the sudden addition of the red light is keeping them up? I could always put the heating pad back in but it was getting too cramped up underneath of that for the chicks I found. They will all be a bit sleep deprived tomorrow I think hahaha

 

[JAR26]

Hi! Another update! Chickens settled by the second day. The adults even took to sleeping right on top of the chick cage (i had to add boards so the chicks didnt get pooped on. I think the adults like the heat lamp that I never had for them before). After two weeks of seeing but not touching eachother, i opened the chick cage just so the chicks can leave but the big birds cant go in. I dont think it went super well...or maybe it did but i'm not sure since it's my first time with chicks haha. The big girls chased the chicks and pecked some feathers off until the chicks went back in their cage in a panic. The adults now seem angry and try to peck the chicks from on top of the cage to try and intimidate them. This could all be normal but it didnt go as smoothly as Id hope. Im concerned with the chicks stress level. Should i sit in the coop and help referee or offer treats so everyones focus changes? Thx!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is this issue with the adults strictly in the coop? Or have you not tried letting the chicks go as far as the run space yet?

The chicks are handling it right - when attacked, they're running back to their safe space. Maybe cover the top of the cage temporarily, like with cardboard, just so the hens can't sit on top and harass them from that direction. Because you do want the chicks to feel safe enough to be able to run back in.

 

[JAR26]

Is this issue with the adults strictly in the coop? Or have you not tried letting the chicks go as far as the run space yet?

The chicks are handling it right - when attacked, they're running back to their safe space. Maybe cover the top of the cage temporarily, like with cardboard, just so the hens can't sit on top and harass them from that direction. Because you do want the chicks to feel safe enough to be able to run back in.

Hi! Thanks for the reply. The chicks never got to go in the run since the adults always chase them back in their cage as soon as they come out. After 2 or 3 tries, the chicks dont even want to come out of their cage anymore (I don't blame them). I will def put something on top of their cage tomorrow, thats a good idea.

 

[JAR26]

Well, the chicks (now 7 week old) decided to be brave and go in the run while the adults were there. I had to run and crawl under their coop to save them. It happend again today and they would have killed the chick if no one would have come. I had to go back to look and not touch. I'm baffled at how extremely aggressive the adult still are with the babies after 3 weeks :s. Any advice?