Hen's first chicks. How do you introduce the rest of the flock?

[BubbaBubbles]

Hi. As I've posted on other threads/forums, Truffles recently had 6 little babies. They're all healthy and very active, mama's doing great with teaching them about the world, and Papa's on guard duty. However, inside I've been raising a bunch of ducks and chicks - who are all about ready to head outside soon. The ducks will have their own pen but I'm not sure how to introduce my other Bantams and Orpingtons to Truffles' family (her, dad, and the babies are all Bantams.) Dad isn't aggressive in the slightest, except for when he pecked the neighbor's rooster that came too close to his lady. Of the indoor chicks, there is only one roo. He's also not very aggressive but... I know all animals are unpredictable. What's the best way to go about merging the flocks together? Will the chicks be okay if I let the others in the pen? The pen is a 10x10x6 gold series kennel, so it's fairly big with plenty of room. The chicks just now reached 5 days old while the ones from indoors have almost fully matured.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Is there any way you can keep Truffles and her chicks separated from the newcomers by fencing of some sort for a week or two? We call this type of gradual integration the "see no touch" method. The birds can see, hear and smell each other but can't touch. They become acquuainted and accustomed to one another but can't harm each other. After a couple of weeks you take the barrier down and should have no problems. Or you can make openings in the bottom of it just big enough for the chicks to go in and out, but the big birds can't get through. Gradually you make the openings bigger until the birds are fully integrated. Does this make sense? Will it work for you?

 

[Perris]

ditto

 

[BubbaBubbles]

Is there any way you can keep Truffles and her chicks separated from the newcomers by fencing of some sort for a week or two? We call this type of gradual integration the "see no touch" method. The birds can see, hear and smell each other but can't touch. They become acquuainted and accustomed to one another but can't harm each other. After a couple of weeks you take the barrier down and should have no problems. Or you can make openings in the bottom of it just big enough for the chicks to go in and out, but the big birds can't get through. Gradually you make the openings bigger until the birds are fully integrated. Does this make sense? Will it work for you?

This actually sounds like a great idea. Thank you!! I'll have to try that when they're a bit bigger.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

This actually sounds like a great idea. Thank you!! I'll have to try that when they're a bit bigger.

Good luck! We've had our latest batch of chicks, six of them, in a grow-out pen next to our older flock, since they were three weeks old (they are now about 8 weeks). Tomorrow or the next day we'll be opening the gate that separates them. Probably Thursday, as tomorrow we will be out of town all day. We anticipate no problems.