*HELP* TRYING TO INTEGRATE!!!

[Don 27]

In addition to the space issue this is indeed a factor.

I don't integrate until the chicks are near or the same size as the chickens I'm introducing them to.

 

[twendt]

Just trying to help you, Your Pullets have to be bigger to fend off the older hens, and your coop is too small for all those chickens. I have 7 chickens in a large coop, They have lots of shoulder room, I had a pre-fab coop and realized I had to build my own coop. My husband didn't help...

 

[Jandsloch]

This weekend I integrated 5 week old chicks to a flock of 11 older chickens. The chicks were in the prefab coop the op has for 2 weeks see but don’t touch. I let them out and no one cared. Keep in mind these are Brahma chicks so they are bigger than average 5 week olds. I let everyone go bigs ones stayed on one side of yard littles on the other lol I put the chicks in the coop (10x10 shed) they ate and drank with the bigs. They have slept in there. I know they aren’t roosting yet but it was such an easy transition. The reason I’m sharing this is so maybe the op will see the space issues. The chicks have plenty of space to be away from the bigs in the coop.

 

[illinoishiker]

This is the way I integrate new chickens and it works very well. I wait to mix them until the young birds are nearly grown. I have a large covered run that's divided so they are side by side but can't get to each other. So mine are penned next to each other for several weeks/months. A week or so would maybe be enough if they are not raised close together like mine. Don't get in a hurry. Then I let the young ones out to free range and get used to doing that and coming back in. Then I let all of them free range. They get pecked but can get away. After a few days the new pecking order is set and there is peace. I have guineas which were raised with my older chickens and they get along just fine, but the guineas will not accept the new birds. I don't think they ever will and I have to keep them separate. They do free range together but cannot be penned even in my large run together. Guineas are very mean and will kill the new chickens. The requirements for coops is 4 square feet per bird and for the run is 8 square feet per bird. Don't try to have more birds than you have enough room for. Crowding causes so many problems.

 

[Southpaw Power]

As long as you free range your chickens during the day, the coop should be fine. They only sleep in there. But I make sure I open the coop door just as they are waking up which is most the time 530-6 o’clock in the morning every day. In the summer my girls sleep more apart from each other because of the heat. I make sure I have enough roosting bars for them all to sit apart from each other where they won’t have to touch each other. Nevertheless, during the winter it seems all my 10 chickens will sit on 6 inches worth of bar trying to snuggle to keep warm. I have a silver Wyandot chicken too as well as my sister does. We have found they are a little bit more aggressive therefore made it harder to integrate them into the flock when they were younger. That’s probably the reason why it’s taking them longer than a couple of weeks to fit in. Let nature take it’s course and let them figure out their pecking order. I would take the little cage out now. I too wait until they’re almost the same size as my older girls before integrating them together. But found no matter what when you put them together there’s always going to be some picking on for a while. They will adjust it’ll be fine.

 

[WGHowell]

The older hens are going to peck and pester the newer chickens because of the "pecking"order. Their no different than any other breed where there is a large group living together.Social order is even in the human race.When all is said and done the chickens will stop chasing ,pecking,and pestering them. I just introduced 18 new birds to my flock and they did the same thing . Until they reach a happy medium their going to do it. Even some of my older birds still have a scrap or two every now and again. I have got to build a new coop for my birds cause my flock more than doubled. I'm in the process of building one 12' x 18' to go along with the one I already have.mine are like yours they free range during the day. The only time their in the coop is at night or if we have bad weather they will go in until it clears then it's back to the yard. They love it.

 

[Red Star 2019]

When the chickens roost at night and it is dark, put the wyndotes on the roost with the other chickens. Chickens can't see in the dark and when in the morning they are with the other chickens, they may accept them better.