Help! Integrating 7 week old chicks/new hen

[holystuff]

So long story short, I had a nice flock of 5 hens. 3 Buffs and 2 cinnamon queens (sex link). My girls are about 2 years old. My partner and I split up and couldn't agree on who got the chickens so we split them. I took my favorite Buff and Queen. The Queen was attacked by a dog when she was about 4 months old and has been pretty feisty ever since. The Buff is the sweetest chicken ever and I love her.

I purchased 6 buff orp chicks that were supposed to be 7 weeks old but were very downy and small and I'm thinking they were closer to 5 weeks. I kept them inside for 2 weeks, then introduced them outside the coop in a dog kennel and then inside the coop when the big girls were foraging but could see the little chicks. My big buff didn't care about them at all, but my queen was quite ugly. I thought I had given my little girls a way to safely escape, but came home to a dead chick and a severely injured one. My Queen killed the chick and injured the other one. So unfortunately, it was not a safe separation. I am afraid the chicks are just too small to be integrated.

Two days after the dead chick, my ex called and said he ended up losing 2 of his 3 girls in the 3 weeks since I moved out. I took the remaining hen (a buff) from him. She is the largest chicken and is fairly docile . I was worried about introductions back with the big girls and sure enough, things did not go well. My two buffs fought pretty viciously and my favorite turned out to be the aggressor and loser. They were both left a little bloody with my favorite buff getting a bloody crown.

I tried to keep them separated and even sprayed them with water if things looked tense. My normally docile girl ended up being so aggressive when her LITERAL sister came back to the house. So right now, I have 3 groups of chickens/

I have one coop with an attached run that's approximately 6x6 feet. Currently I have been segregating the new buff in the run of the coop during the day. My favorite buff and queen free range, but can see the other buff through the wire. My chicks were inside a large dog kennel outside, but yesterday a neighbor saw a hawk on the kennel trying to get the girls. So, for now they are in the kennel inside the shed. I just purchased a metal run for the girls that will be here by Friday. It has a cover and I was planning on putting the little girls in it and hopefully integrating the big girls. It has been 3 days and nights since I brought the new Buff home.

So here are my questions.

What is the best way to integrate my large hens back together?

Once that's accomplished, how do I safely integrate my chicks into the flock? And at what age do they stop becoming easy targets for hawks?

I need help!

Any advice would be awesome. Thanks again.

 

[MysticUniKitty]

I was having the same problem, (no dead chicks but near so; sorry for your loss ) and looked through the articles here for help. I found this one:https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/
which was a lot of help and even shows the divider she used for her chicks.

This one:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-to-integrate-your-chicken-flock-the-easy-way.63034/

helped me learn about pecking order and how to handle the bullies.
Don't try to do the "on roost at night" method, this one has failed every time!

My set up ended up a bit of a mess but for first time it was ok. I fenced off the side with the outlet for the babies so they had a heat lamp (DH secured it 3 different ways so no fires!) Then on the opposite side of the coop where the roosting bar was i had my very large pen brooder with my 1month old girls in it. THey had food, water, toys, so on but Hens couldn't get them. The Hens had run of the rest of the coop with their food and water, and had access to the pop door. everyone stayed in these areas for the first week. then the Hens started flying over the fence in the babies area, I cut the fencing lower and added the "escape doors" for the babies as they can run super fast and hide behind the big brooder for safety. (i also have crates, rocks, cinder blocks on side for them to hide in) it wasn't awesome but they calmed down after two days, I only separated when there was blood. (which didn't happen thankfully) we had an accidental integration with now 2month olds and it went awful! Feathers everywhere, some blood....got them separated again and everyone stayed like this for another week and a half. Today i let the Hens out to forage, let the 2 months out with the babies and sat with them. only minor pecking and nothing brutal. yay! Hens demanded to be let in due to rain and needing their nests. I chanced it, there was some scuffling. a bit of pecking, a bit of chasing, but nothing awful like last time.

I think the key is letting everyone see eachother without being able to touch for as long as you can is the best bet! also giving them things to do... i got cheap bird toys to toss in with them, handful or two of scratch for them to look for in the chips, and 4 waters plus 3 feeders. the more the better! (i have 26 chickens they need elbow room)

I hope this helps you!!!

 

[aart]

Seeing some pics of your coops/runs/enclosures might help garner some specific suggestions.

Here's some more tips, trick, and links on....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock



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