Help!!

[JDChickChat]

I have a group of 7 12 week old chicks with 1 roo and another group of 3, 4 wel old chicks. I've had their brooder in the coop for over a week. I tried to put the smaller chicks on the roost with them and they viciously attacked the babies, almost all of the older ones went after the babies. What do I do??

 

[BudgieKing15]

I have a group of 7 12 week old chicks with 1 roo and another group of 3, 4 wel old chicks. I've had their brooder in the coop for over a week. I tried to put the smaller chicks on the roost with them and they viciously attacked the babies, almost all of the older ones went after the babies. What do I do??

Hmmm...I would leave the brooder in the coop and wait until the chicks can defend themselves a bit better, maybe wait until 10-11 weeks old, OR you could try again in another week. 4 week old chicks are very helpless. Hope this helps.

 

[JDChickChat]

Hmmm...I would leave the brooder in the coop and wait until the chicks can defend themselves a bit better, maybe wait until 10-11 weeks old, OR you could try again in another week. 4 week old chicks are very helpless. Hope this helps.

I agree, but they are getting bigger and restless of the brooder. Im just so lost.

 

[BudgieKing15]

I agree, but they are getting bigger and restless of the brooder. Im just so lost.

When my chicks got bigger I connected a second brooder to their existing brooder to make more room. Do you have another brooder? That usually works well for me.

 

[JDChickChat]

When my chicks got bigger I connected a second brooder to their existing brooder to make more room. Do you have another brooder? That usually works well for me.

No unfortunately I don't, but I think I'm going to have to do something

 

[BudgieKing15]

No unfortunately I don't, but I think I'm going to have to do something

Oh, sorry. Umm...do you have any wooden crates or large plastic tubs? I use plastic tubs as brooders a lot and they work fine. If you do, you could cut a hole in it and connect the two.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Before you put them in the coop were they all using the run together without much issue? Not divided, but sharing the same space? That'd be step one to me - getting them to safely interact in a larger space.

I don't move chicks into the coop until a week or two after they've been using the run together with the older birds. Other tricky thing is you're adding young birds to young birds, which can be a little more unpredictable, given that the older birds are still in the process of growing up themselves.

 

[JDChickChat]

Before you put them in the coop were they all using the run together without much issue? Not divided, but sharing the same space? That'd be step one to me - getting them to safely interact in a larger space.

I don't move chicks into the coop until a week or two after they've been using the run together with the older birds. Other tricky thing is you're adding young birds to young birds, which can be a little more unpredictable, given that the older birds are still in the process of growing up themselves.

We let the older birds free range in my fenced in yard, and I'm afraid the smalls are still small enough to get through the fencing.

 

[rosemarythyme]

We let the older birds free range in my fenced in yard, and I'm afraid the smells are still small enough to get through the fencing.

For day time, could you set up a temporary pen in the yard somewhere, something that the chicks can't squeeze through? This way the older birds can get a good look at them in the space they frequent for most of the day.

In the evening, continue having them in the brooding space in the coop.

After a week or so, if the older birds aren't too overly interested in the chicks, you can lift the pen fencing up with a few bricks to make chick-sized spaces to let the chicks dart in and out for safety. Might need to supervise these sessions as I don't know if you feel comfortable having young chicks free ranging.

If older birds don't fuss with chicks too much, in another week I'd then try moving them into the coop proper. Do you have a separate roost the chicks can use to minimize pecking from the other birds?

 

[JDChickChat]

For day time, could you set up a temporary pen in the yard somewhere, something that the chicks can't squeeze through? This way the older birds can get a good look at them in the space they frequent for most of the day.

In the evening, continue having them in the brooding space in the coop.

After a week or so, if the older birds aren't too overly interested in the chicks, you can lift the pen fencing up with a few bricks to make chick-sized spaces to let the chicks dart in and out for safety. Might need to supervise these sessions as I don't know if you feel comfortable having young chicks free ranging.

If older birds don't fuss with chicks too much, in another week I'd then try moving them into the coop proper. Do you have a separate roost the chicks can use to minimize pecking from the other birds?

That's a wonderful idea!!! Yes, theres 4 different roosts in the coop so, plenty of space!!