Flock Blending Advice

Theldara

In the Brooder
Oct 30, 2020
4
32
25
I know this Q gets asked a million times, but it looks like folks are usually blending younger chicks. I'm a first time chicken keeper - I got my elder 4 in May, splitting them off from my friend's large flock, so this is our first time raising any chicks. I've read a lot, but I still have questions!

The Players:
4 hens in the coop/run now - a 2 year old and 3 1-year-olds.
4 10-week old chicken - 3 hens and 1 UnexpectedUnfortunateRooster, will all be 11 weeks on on Monday

Searching for a home for the poor Rooster that won't be on someone's dinner plate, but striking out so far (I can't have a rooster, which is why I specifically bought 3 females, but surprise he's a beautiful rooster... it happens, gonna just have to roll with it... anyone in East TN or SW VA or Western NC want a Rooster.... ).

Anyway. I've waited till 10 weeks because for one, it got quite cold out there, and for another I wanted the chicks to have some size on them. I have a Plymouth Barred Rock, the 2 year old, in the adult hens and she's a big bossy butt. The other adults are an Easter Egger (medium size?), Amercuana (medium), and Welsummer (a petite princess, that one). The chicks are 2 buff orpington (m/f) and two Easter Eggers (f/f). The Orpingtons are of a size now where they're slightly bigger than the Welsummer and the EE's are roughly the same size as the Welsummer. All dwarf the PBR. Unfortunately, because it's 2020 and there's no good luck to be had, three of the four adults are coming out of molt right now. Not the best time to blend a flock, I've read, but winter is coming - time is against us. All the molting crew do have most all of their feathers back or about to be fully back - there's no bare skin anywhere, at least.

The weather should be agreeable starting this weekend for a week or so before it gets a bit chilly again, so my hope is to integrate them starting this weekend. So far what we have done is they've spent a week in a kennel during the day that was about 50 feet from the coop/run, then a week just outside the coop run, and today (Friday) they will finish up a week of day time kenneling inside the run. During this time, the Lead Hen / Bossy Butt has only taken issue with the Rooster chick, she's ignored the others. She has pecked Rooster boy through the kennel somehow and damaged his comb slightly. To be fair, that chick has had a neon red, vibrant comb and wattles since 6 weeks. I can't really say I blame her for going at him, he basically has a neon sign flashing on his head. She's chilled since the first couple days and, while she's frequently chattering at him, she has not been attempting to peck him again. For his part, he's been just as curious about her, and isn't showing any male behavioral characteristics yet (no crowing, but his body shape and feathering is clearly Male, plus the hatchery confirmed he was an accidental rooster via video on Monday).

So, here's the question. Do we continue with the playpen thing for another week and risk whatever comes up in the 10 day forecast or do we try to integrate them this weekend, hoping for the best? My intention had been to put the babies into the coop before dawn or at bedtime and let them wake up together. I'm still on the fence on if we should lock everyone in the coop for a few days or just put the babies to bed each evening intentionally until they get the picture.

Do I hold the rooster out and not try to integrate him, since he can't stay anyway? I suppose he could be a garage chicken until we find him a home, if that's what's best in integrating the others. I'm aware I should expect some pecking and general mayhem as they reorder a pecking order, but what does that really look like? I assume I don't intervene unless someone bleeds, then I pull that one out or do I playpen that one again?

There is not a way for me to split the coop up at night, but there is plenty of roost space. There is no electric out there, so it is dark in there at night, but I don't have a camera on it to know how much shenanigans the elders get up to at night.

Thoughts? Advice? My friends have done this all before, but we have not, and our chickens aren't able to free range at this time - there is no neutral ground, just a 4x8 coop and an 8x16 covered run, which has lots of things in it to climb/fly on/under/behind/etc. The yard might be doable next spring, once we afford some moveable fencing, but at the moment we can't free range at all or let them into the yard. I am ready to get these chickens OUT of my house though, ASAP, because the dust is seriously causing us problems (even my cat is apparently allergic to pine dust). However, I want to do it as safely as possible for the chicks.
 
I know this Q gets asked a million times, but it looks like folks are usually blending younger chicks. I'm a first time chicken keeper - I got my elder 4 in May, splitting them off from my friend's large flock, so this is our first time raising any chicks. I've read a lot, but I still have questions!

The Players:
4 hens in the coop/run now - a 2 year old and 3 1-year-olds.
4 10-week old chicken - 3 hens and 1 UnexpectedUnfortunateRooster, will all be 11 weeks on on Monday

Searching for a home for the poor Rooster that won't be on someone's dinner plate, but striking out so far (I can't have a rooster, which is why I specifically bought 3 females, but surprise he's a beautiful rooster... it happens, gonna just have to roll with it... anyone in East TN or SW VA or Western NC want a Rooster.... ).

Anyway. I've waited till 10 weeks because for one, it got quite cold out there, and for another I wanted the chicks to have some size on them. I have a Plymouth Barred Rock, the 2 year old, in the adult hens and she's a big bossy butt. The other adults are an Easter Egger (medium size?), Amercuana (medium), and Welsummer (a petite princess, that one). The chicks are 2 buff orpington (m/f) and two Easter Eggers (f/f). The Orpingtons are of a size now where they're slightly bigger than the Welsummer and the EE's are roughly the same size as the Welsummer. All dwarf the PBR. Unfortunately, because it's 2020 and there's no good luck to be had, three of the four adults are coming out of molt right now. Not the best time to blend a flock, I've read, but winter is coming - time is against us. All the molting crew do have most all of their feathers back or about to be fully back - there's no bare skin anywhere, at least.

The weather should be agreeable starting this weekend for a week or so before it gets a bit chilly again, so my hope is to integrate them starting this weekend. So far what we have done is they've spent a week in a kennel during the day that was about 50 feet from the coop/run, then a week just outside the coop run, and today (Friday) they will finish up a week of day time kenneling inside the run. During this time, the Lead Hen / Bossy Butt has only taken issue with the Rooster chick, she's ignored the others. She has pecked Rooster boy through the kennel somehow and damaged his comb slightly. To be fair, that chick has had a neon red, vibrant comb and wattles since 6 weeks. I can't really say I blame her for going at him, he basically has a neon sign flashing on his head. She's chilled since the first couple days and, while she's frequently chattering at him, she has not been attempting to peck him again. For his part, he's been just as curious about her, and isn't showing any male behavioral characteristics yet (no crowing, but his body shape and feathering is clearly Male, plus the hatchery confirmed he was an accidental rooster via video on Monday).

So, here's the question. Do we continue with the playpen thing for another week and risk whatever comes up in the 10 day forecast or do we try to integrate them this weekend, hoping for the best? My intention had been to put the babies into the coop before dawn or at bedtime and let them wake up together. I'm still on the fence on if we should lock everyone in the coop for a few days or just put the babies to bed each evening intentionally until they get the picture.

Do I hold the rooster out and not try to integrate him, since he can't stay anyway? I suppose he could be a garage chicken until we find him a home, if that's what's best in integrating the others. I'm aware I should expect some pecking and general mayhem as they reorder a pecking order, but what does that really look like? I assume I don't intervene unless someone bleeds, then I pull that one out or do I playpen that one again?

There is not a way for me to split the coop up at night, but there is plenty of roost space. There is no electric out there, so it is dark in there at night, but I don't have a camera on it to know how much shenanigans the elders get up to at night.

Thoughts? Advice? My friends have done this all before, but we have not, and our chickens aren't able to free range at this time - there is no neutral ground, just a 4x8 coop and an 8x16 covered run, which has lots of things in it to climb/fly on/under/behind/etc. The yard might be doable next spring, once we afford some moveable fencing, but at the moment we can't free range at all or let them into the yard. I am ready to get these chickens OUT of my house though, ASAP, because the dust is seriously causing us problems (even my cat is apparently allergic to pine dust). However, I want to do it as safely as possible for the chicks.
Starting the integration when they were smaller would have worked in the chicks favor as smaller chickens are much faster than the bigger chickens and they can get out of the way easier.
Also starting them off crated inside the run would have sped up the process a bit.
I would not suggest trying to sneak them in onto the roost at night hoping they'll all wake up and just be this happy integrated flock. It never works that way.
As for nighttime shenanigans, once the sun goes down there really aren't any. Chickens cannot see well in the dark and they tend to leave whoever's next to them alone until the morning when they can see who's there and then give them a good jab.
If they've been exposed to each other for about a week I would wait until the next morning, keep the older girls in the coop and open up the crate so that the younger ones can explore the run for about an hour on their own. Then open up the coop and allow the older girls to come out. Make sure there are multiple feed and water stations so everyone can get something to eat and drink. Stay and monitor the situation for a while to make sure no one gets cornered and pummeled.
More space is always better. You do have a decent size run. If it's as cluttered as you say it is hopefully things will go well. Good luck.
 
First, stop worrying about cold weather. Those chicks have been able to handle below freezing temperatures as well as your older birds for the last month. Don't complicate it anymore than you have to. You are not the only person that has kept them in the house longer than you needed to because of concern over weather.

I pretty much agree with Dobie though wish your coop were larger. That could be an issue for integrating.

So, here's the question. Do we continue with the playpen thing for another week and risk whatever comes up in the 10 day forecast or do we try to integrate them this weekend, hoping for the best?

You have been integrating them. Integration is a process that takes time, it's not a snap of the fingers and its over. I think you need to continue that process as Dobie suggested.

My intention had been to put the babies into the coop before dawn or at bedtime and let them wake up together.

I would not do this yet. At some point you may need to move them into the main coop but I'd let them roam in the run together for a week or more before I tried that. Let them get to know each other before you put them that close together. Is there some way you can create a safe sleeping place for them in that kennel? Predator proof and protection from rain and a direct breeze? To me that would be ideal. They can sleep out there while they get to know each other.

I'm still on the fence on if we should lock everyone in the coop for a few days or just put the babies to bed each evening intentionally until they get the picture.

Do not lock them in a tight space and expect the to slug it out until they get tired of fighting. It doesn't work that way. My immature chicks avoid the adults as much as they can until they mature enough to force their way into the pecking order. That's usually when the pullets start to lay. It is not a size thing, it is a maturity thing. It is not unusual or stranger for a bantam hen to dominate a full sized hen. It's the spirit of the chicken, not the size, and until they mature enough immature chickens do not have that spirit.

I often give mine a month of roaming together outside and sleeping in separate coops or shelters before I put them together in the main coop at night. Sometimes they move in by themselves but usually not. After they have proven to me that they can co-exist during the day and sleeping separately I wait until dark and toss them in the main coop and lock the door. Then I'm down there at daybreak when they wake up to open the pop door and see how they are doing. With mine it usually just takes one or two daybreak sessions before I'm comfortable they will be OK if I decide to wait a bit before I go down. But my coop is a lot bigger than yours and I have a lot more room outside. And my management techniques are different form yours. You could easily get different results.

Do I hold the rooster out and not try to integrate him, since he can't stay anyway?

What to do with that boy? You can try integrating him with the others, it might work, but I'd have a place ready for him. There is a fair chance you will need it. You can fix a spot in the garage or maybe fix a shelter in the run so he can be with the others during the day.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.
 

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