Early Integration!

3KillerBs

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14 Years
Jul 10, 2009
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So, this morning I wasn't even dressed yet when I heard a commotion down in the chicken coop. I looked out and saw nothing to suggest a predator breech so I mentally filed it as "broody defending her box" -- because I have at least 3 girls trying to go broody right now and the Java is quite vicious.

Later in the morning I went down and found that somehow the lid of the integration pen had been knocked askew and all the babies were out -- safely over in a corner among ample clutter and being *mostly* ignored by the adults and the 10-week-olds.

It was clear that they were distressed at not being able to figure out how to get home so I fixed their lid, arranged a chick size door, caught them, and put them back but able to get out again if they want to. They went straight to their feed and water the moment they got back in so the commotion I heard early must have been the release.

They probably flew out in panic and then had no idea where they were or what to do.

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I don't know why I can't keep this batch in the pen which has worked for previous batches, but it seems that the other birds are fine with them -- or, at least, as fine with them as chickens ever are with chicks who don't know respect yet.

I'll have to keep an eye on them and make sure they find their way back to their feed and water.
 
So, half of them are sleeping on top of the integration pen and half of them are inside it.

I have to work tomorrow (my first day back after being sick), but I'll make sure that there's an open waterer in the main section of the coop and some blocks for them to stand on to reach the adults' feeders in case they forget how to get back in to their own.
 
I wasn't able to get photos because tending to the chickens was the absolute LAST thing I had energy to do after work before collapsing (wonderful DH made dinner), but they are running all over the place with only occasional "respect me" pecks.

It was terribly cute to see them walking right under the roosters, especially Ludwig.

So, this integration was done quite wrong with only a 3-day see-don't-touch before they ended up getting out despite my efforts to keep the in their pen. But it's working.

I wonder if a mixed-age flock with roosters handles chick integration better than a single-age flock of all hens?
 

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