First night with the newbies in the coop. Gulp.

[mclanea]

My two cream leg bars are seven weeks old and have gotten embarrassingly large for their brooder box. Still cozy in there but fully feathered out and otherwise ready. The integration with the others hasn't been super smooth so I delayed it and delayed it.

The bottom 2 RIRs have taken to chasing the CLs around the yard, one of them even flew over an 8 foot block wall today to get away from it. Everything is cool if the littles can find a hiding spot from the bigs.

But tonight is the night. As everyone was settling on their roost I opened up the nesting box door and put them in. After some growling and other weird noises everything has gone quiet.

First night is always the scariest! I'm sure they'll be fine, I'm sure they'll be fine, I'm sure they'll be fine.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

First night is always the scariest for everyone involved. They will be fine, but I totally understand.

 

[mclanea]

Not a peep from the 7 week olds last night. But it's also clear that they never moved an inch in the nesting box, still there. I kicked the adults out to the yard and laid out their chick starter, closing them in the run by themselves. (The others just ate all their baby food before)

And Murray is keeping a watchful eye out...

 

[aart]

Not a peep from the 7 week olds last night. But it's also clear that they never moved an inch in the nesting box, still there.
I kicked the adults out to the yard and laid out their chick starter, closing them in the run by themselves. (The others just ate all their baby food before)

And Murray is keeping a watchful eye out...

How many adults in the coop?

 

[mclanea]

How many adults in the coop?

We have 3 RIRs that's are just about 1 years old. (5/4/16) They free range pretty much all day, every day on our lil city lot.

 

[aart]

So integration situation....hope the littles have lots of space to get away from their superiors.
A separate roost for the littles in the coop will help keep them from sleeping in the nests.

 

[mclanea]

@aart Agreed. Installing a new roost today. The littles have tended to roost off and on during the day but even in the brooder they've not been sleeping on it so I wasn't concerned that they slept in the box last night. I was just happy the others didn't beat them up too bad.

The integration with the others hasn't been so bad. It's complicated by trying to get two dogs to leave them alone. The dogs are just way too curious about the new chicks.

 

[aart]

@aart Agreed. Installing a new roost today. The littles have tended to roost off and on during the day but even in the brooder they've not been sleeping on it so I wasn't concerned that they slept in the box last night. I was just happy the others didn't beat them up too bad.

The integration with the others hasn't been so bad. It's complicated by trying to get two dogs to leave them alone. The dogs are just way too curious about the new chicks.

Cool Beans!
If at all possible, install a hinged nest cover.
Close it up an hour or so before roost time, then open when locking up after dark(or early in the morning).
It's worked great for me in a mixed age coop, even with lots of space and 3 separate roosts the pullets like those nests at night.
Easier to go out an extra time per day to close off nests than to relocate birds from nests to roost after dark.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Also wanted to add you can feed the whole flock a non medicated starter grower, so they all can eat the same thing. Just put out a separate dish of oyster shells. Glad to hear everyone is okay.

 

[mclanea]

Also wanted to add you can feed the whole flock a non medicated starter grower, so they all can eat the same thing. Just put out a separate dish of oyster shells. Glad to hear everyone is okay.

Thanks. All is well in our yard so far today. The older ones are leaving the younger ones to sleep and gone back to their normal routine of staring longingly at the garden... keep dreaming, chickens... it's not happening!