Help! Babies are staying out in the rain - afraid of going in the coop???

[mtolheisers]

So, we are leaving on a week vacation and needed to speed up the integration process. We let two 6 week old pullets outside in a seperate pen to let them get used to the older girls (~14 weeks) for a couple of days. I put them in the coop after dark last night and waited and listened for a while. All was quiet, so I went to bed. Checked first thing this morning and the babies were out in the run under the ladder ( I assume "hiding"). But, they weren't visibly hurt. This afternoon we had a thunderstorm run through and the babies stayed out of the coop. Could they be afraid to go in???? We leave tomorrow morning, and I'm not sure what to do. The only possibility of "seperating" them, would be to put up a temporary seperation inside the coop, but the babies wouldn't be able to get out in the run at all for a week. HELP!!! Any ideas? Will they "work it out?"

 

[mtolheisers]

Well, I had a friend suggest that perhaps the babies didn't know "how" to get into the coop and that they will figure it out. Aha! Low and behold, tonight one of the two had made his way inside and was roosting on the perch with the big girls. So, I took the other baby, brought to the ramp and pushed her up. Went inside to check on her shortly after, and she was also up on the perch, right next to the first one. Victory! I have a chicken sitter stopping in to check on them every so often. I'm sure they'll do great!

 

[mpguay]

Oh gosh. They are SCARED. I wouldnt let them "work it out". The babies will lose and it will be a bad end.
I am also going away for a week. I have 4 groups of different ages of chickens, and one group of turkey chicks. They must remain separate.

I'd love to help with ideas if you are interested. I am also leaving for a week and am working on keeping 5 separate groups happy.

 

[keesmom]

If it were me I would set up the temporary section for them and do the integration when you return. They will be fine indoors for a week.

 

[Ohgrr]

I'm currently integrating as well. After close to a week things are going pretty well. There is definitely some displays of dominance going on but I only had to break up a couple of fights the first day. Mine discovered the coop quickly and the ages aren't quite as far apart. If I were leaving I think I would put them in my temp coop, though. I'd hate to come home to injured or dead chickens.