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[nanawendy]

I'm trying to integrate 4 hatchery chicks w/ mama and 4 of her cross babies. All the same age (close to 8 weeks). Mama went w/ the big girls and was so to desperate to get back to babies she flew up to the roof of the coop several times.

So she wouldn't hurt herself I put her back w/ all 8 chicks. That worked for about an hour and then I noticed her and her birth 4 herding the hatchery 4 into the corner and wouldn't let them at either of the feeders or waterers.

I took mama out again and put her in the big girls coop. The SLW attacked her brutally .

I took her out and put her in the back yard, shared fence w/ both coops... and her birth babies cried and cried. ...

I took them out of the grow out coop and fixed up a little area we use for just these occasions . They won;t go near it and are roosting on the basket ball hoop.

I'm frustrated and exhausted
Please give me a fresh perspective

 

[squeakyballs]

Woah, calm down.

Put the mama back with her babies. She'll start being mean to them when she's ready for them to go.

I'd keep the new chicks separate until then.

Introduce the new chicks to the original chicks at night. They wake up and think they belong together.

Introduce mama back to the main flock at night. Same reason.

 

[nanawendy]

OK I took a breath, got my man folk together and We got the girls and Mama inside the stand-by shelter. The 4 hatchery chicks are snug and warm inside the grow out coop. All is well on the western front.
TT My problem was putting the hatchery chicks w/ mama and her brood before she was really ready to let go. I did see signs, but probably pushed to fast.
Thanks for your reply