Integrating 10 week pullets with 2 hens.

[Anschutzchix]

Hi!
I’m newish at raising chickens. I bought 6 baby chicks a day old (5 golden laced wyandottes and 1 light brahma). They’re 10 weeks now.After I brought them home, I got impatient for eggs, so I bought 2 hens (a silver laced Wyandotte and a white French maran, don’t know their ages, but they’re laying eggs all right). We put them in the coop and when the chicks were 6 weeks, we added them to the coop in a separate fenced enclosure where they can all see each other. It’s been quite awhile and they’ve never seemed to mind each other. My husband is very insistent on integrating them NOW. But I keep holding off based on what I’ve read. Thing is...the Brahma pullet is almost the same size as the maran already and the other girls are right behind her. So, I guess my question is...does anyone think it’s ok to integrate them earlier since they’re almost the same size or is it a maturity thing? Here are a few pics of that helps.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

At 10 weeks it is likely fine as you have a brood of younger pullets and only 2 mature hens.

Be sure that everyone has space to get away and hide if need be. The pullets typically will be very skittish, and the hens may be a bit bossy.

You've had fence to fence integration for a time, so likely this should go nicely. Just watch to see if troubles develop (ie a smallish pullet/hen is overly hazed).

Expect a couple of days of small skirmishes. There should be no blood drawn however, or anyone constantly running for their life or cowering in fear.

Set up multiple feed and water stations to prevent competition there.

Set up separate treat areas with some stimulation.

I expect with this combination most things should go well.

LofMc

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Your birds are very pretty, I love GLW! Lady of McCamley has given you excellent advice and things should go well given the fact that the girls have been side by side for a while. Hope you will keep us posted. Do they also have access to an outdoor run?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum, glad you joined.

I think maturity is more important than size, but that does not mean you could not have integrated them before now. That has to do with how they behave, not whether or not they will be attacked. Even if they were all totally mature you can have violence. I think you are more likely to have more severe violence if they are all mature, but once they get past that they will become a more integrated flock.

With a difference in maturity the young usually quickly learn that if they invade the personal space of the mature ones they are likely to get pecked. So they form a sub-flock, avoiding the older ones until they mature themselves. It's usually very little violence, both when they learn to avoid the mature hens as chicks and when they make their way into the mature pecking order when they mature enough to do that, usually when pullets start to lay.

Does this always work? No, you are dealing with living animals. You don't get guarantees with them. It is always possible you have a hen that will be a total brute when you try to integrate. Those are not that common but they do exist. And they are likely to go after another fully grown hen when you try to integrate as they are a chick.

On the flip side they don't always form a total sub-flock. Sometimes you get mature hens and immature chicks that have no problems mingling. In my experience that is pretty rare but has happened more often than me having a brute of a hen that goes after them. You don't get guarantees either way with living animals.

It looks like your coop is fairly large for the number of chickens. That's great. I don't know how much room you have outside or when it is available to them, the more the better. You may or may not have enough hiding places so the chicks can get out of the line of sight of the older ones. I would certainly try it as soon as you can be around to observe how it is going. Allow those chicks to learn to avoid the adults. Only intervene if a chick is injured or a hen has one pinned down and is viciously pecking it. Follow the Lady's advice on extra feeding and watering stations, preferably inside and out.

Good luck with it and let us know how it goes. And once again,

 

[Mrs. K]

This will sound crazy, but I have had good luck with it. Flip Flop them for a day. Put the youngsters where you have the old girls and vice versa. This lets the youngsters explore the new area without being chased, and (crazy part) I think it lets the old girls see the new birds in their territory without the sky falling. Ten to one, if you just remove the fence, it will be fine, as they have been side by side. But I do this.

Then I would remove the fence at dark, and be down early in the morning with a cup of coffee. But would expect no drama.

Mrs K