Help stressing out with these chicks lol

[tamsteve143]

Hello I was reading your thread when you had chicks with adult hens. I have 11 week old chicks, they have been in the utility room in a big dog crate...The last 2 weeks I bring them outside all day in a gate see and no touch area with the older hens, last two days I have opened up the gate and let them all mingle, which I had one adult hen peck a few, got some feathers lol but I know that is normal. We actually got a small coop/run just for the young ones durning the day to get out of the weather and be protected. The big main coop is where I want them to sleep, well the last two nights we have been putting them in there and they hate it, last night we had to literally push them out of the cat carrier to get them in the coop and then they were pecking at the window and crying. I have a camera in there and they were piled on top of eachother all night, they are under the poop trays with a barrier fence to keep them away from the big ones. This is so stressful lol with my older hens I didn't have any other's so they were in outside in their coop younger then 11 weeks and did great! Should I take the fence down and set them on the roost with the older ones or just shove them in every night and they will eventually settle down? I don't want to just leave them outside in the run because we do have racoons and possums.

 

[aart]

Integration is often stressful for all involved....it can take time and patience.

Your chicks are 11 weeks old......or do you have 11 one week old chicks??
Show us some pics of your coop and run.

Here's some tips about.....
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.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[tamsteve143]

They are 11 weeks old, sad lesson learned, I lost one, snake got it i'm thinking, her head was wet but he couldn't get the rest of her down....hate when i get attached and I feel like I shoukld have known because there was a snake a few weeks ago and I should have frickin known better or put smaller hardware cloth to where it couldn't get through! sad situation....now i'm even more paranoid.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Let's see some pictures of your setup

 

[aart]

Let's see some pictures of your setup

Yes, please @tamsteve143 ...along with how many adult and how many 11wo birds.

 

[LaFleche]

They are 11 weeks old, sad lesson learned, I lost one, snake got it i'm thinking, her head was wet but he couldn't get the rest of her down....hate when i get attached and I feel like I shoukld have known because there was a snake a few weeks ago and I should have frickin known better or put smaller hardware cloth to where it couldn't get through! sad situation....now i'm even more paranoid.

That might well be the reason they freaked out and did not want to stay in the coop. They might have seen and/or sensed the snake without you being aware of it.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Yes, please @tamsteve143 ...along with how many adult and how many 11wo birds.

4 older hens, seven 11 week old