Integrating 10 week old chicks

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

I have 19 10 week old chicks, 2 ee’s, 2 barred rocks, 1 BO, 1 saphire gem, 1 white leghorn, 1 brown leghorn, 2 red sexlinks, and 7 silkies 4 cockerel and 3 pullets(I am picking my favorite cockerel). I have 11 1 year old hens and one rooster(bo) 5 of the hens will be going to a smaller coop until the young chicks start laying, then those 5 will be given away. My question is shoul I separate my roster from the floc’k for the Tim being until the chicks are in good with the hens, about 2 weeks?

 

[Mrs. K]

I am unsure about the silkies. But if you have hideouts, and roosts, and multiple feeders in the run, I would not expect a lot of problems with the other chicks. You are adding a lot of chicks, and that spread the pecking out. Pecking is hard work.

With your ability to pull 5 hens out, you have a place where you could put the rooster if you need to, but I would not expect you to need to. However, you might have a hen that you are planning on keeping that is really mean to the chicks, if so, put her in with the five or instead of one of those birds.

I think you might have to mix this up a couple of times until you get the right birds together. When you pull the five birds out, that will make more chicks than hens, so that will help too.

Even so, make sure you have multiple feeders, and hideouts and roosts in the the run.

Mrs k

 

[aart]

My question is shoul I separate my roster from the floc’k for the Tim being until the chicks are in good with the hens, about 2 weeks?

May not be necessary to remove male, the females will give the newbies a harder time...
...and it will likely take more than two weeks.

How do you plan to integrate the chicks with the flock?

Tips and links 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.

This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[feathermaid]

Good advice already given.

But have you also tried free ranging them all together yet? That's usually a good introduction since the newbies would have plenty of room to run away, which is what lower ranked birds should do to show respect. I don't have a roo, but I would think, your rooster is an equal member of the flock and wouldn't need to be separated unless you notice particular aggression from him, same as with any other hen. I've even heard many people say their rooster is actually more accepting of newbies and serves as a peacekeeper by protecting them from overly aggressive females. Guess it depends on your guy's temperament.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

If I free range integrate the chicks they won’t know where the op is and they will most likely be killed by a hawk within minuets. They have been in a playpen in the chicken coop for 2 weeks, the other girls arent very interested besides one. I was just concerned about th echicks beign overmated when they are so young.