I need help integrating chicks into my flock!!

My run and coop is the minimum size requirements for the amount of chickens that I plan to have.

Not sure what this means as far as size goes but a small coop might make it harder later. If yours free range outside the run every day that should help.

I have 5 older chickens that are only 3 months.

That should be enough size difference to do the safe haven.

Are you comfortable leaving the young ones out there day and night concerning possible predators? It's your decision. You're looking at them and the conditions, I'm not.

It sounds like you tried putting them in that small coop for their first introduction. Don't do that. You are squeezing them in a tiny place and not giving the young ones room to run away from the others or avoid them. The more room you can give them the better. I'd try it when they are out free ranging.

I don't see an easy way to create that safe haven opening. You might be able to cut holes, open a gate just barely enough the little ones can get through, or maybe having a vertical opening where the young ones can squeeze under but the bigs can't. You may have to get creative.

I think the way I'd try it is to give them a few more days across fences and then create one or more small openings that they can leave when they want to. Open it up when the bigs are free ranging and let them come out whenever they want to. If it goes as I think it should, the young ones will return to that shelter to sleep and they should soon learn to avoid the bigs during the day. Try to avoid locking them in that coop or small run with the bigs. What I think should happen within a few days is that the bigs will free range in one area and the smalls will be in a different area.

After they have ranged together without problems for a month you can try moving them into the main coop. When I do that I just toss them in after dark. As long as it is dark inside they should be safe until daylight. Be down there at first light to open the pop door until you're comfortable it won't be a massacre. When mine have roamed together for a month that has not been a problem, but my coop is large and cluttered.

Be flexible. Base your decisions on what you see. Things don't always follow the plan, that's just the way life is. Adjust as you see the need. My general rules are to try as much as I can to let them work things out on their schedule, not mine. Try to give them as much room as you can every step of the way.

Good luck!
Thank you so much! This is super helpful 🙂
 
When I integrated some pullets last year I shut the older hens out of the coop for a couple hours so the little ones could explore and figure out the lay of the land so to speak. My pullets were 5 months old though so not tiny. I did this daily for a while though so by the time I opened things up they knew where all the hiding places were. Good luck to you!
 
When I integrated some pullets last year I shut the older hens out of the coop for a couple hours so the little ones could explore and figure out the lay of the land so to speak. My pullets were 5 months old though so not tiny. I did this daily for a while though so by the time I opened things up they knew where all the hiding places were. Good luck to you!
Thanks!
 
It is better to let chickens work this out, than people try and work it out. The chicks need to be able to get out of reach and they need to be able to get out of sight. Then let them venture forth when they want, retreat when they want.

Just put the fence up a couple inches off the ground. I have mine in the flock by 4 weeks. However, also add a pallet on the ground, one end up on cement blocks, put another pallet up against a wall, and feed them in the safety zone, so they do not compete for food.

Mrs K
 
Just put the fence up a couple inches off the ground. I have mine in the flock by 4 weeks. However, also add a pallet on the ground, one end up on cement blocks, put another pallet up against a wall, and feed them in the safety zone, so they do not compete for food.

This is what I do as well, by making the gap small enough that only chicks can fit, they can easily use their pen as a safe zone.

My way of dealing with food aggression is having a lot of options around. The chicks get to keep their own feeder in the brooder until integration is done. There's also multiple feeders/feed bowls out in the run, spread out, behind/on top of obstacles, to forcibly break up the space.

You really would benefit from adding some clutter in the run. The chicks should have multiple options to retreat when the older birds go after them, instead of just running back to their pen/brooder.
 

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