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.
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.