Integrating 20 chicks

[Richard Pryor]

I have 2 issues:

Have 24 chicks that are around 3 months old. They were all purchased together so they understand each other and there's no bullying between them.

Purchased 6 Silver Laced Wyandottes and 14 Black Copper Marans around 1-1.5 months ago. The SL are maybe 2 weeks older than the BCM. They grew up together so there's no bullying between them.

Recently finished my coop. Big chicks spend all day outside and I take them in at night. Been doing this for 3-4 days. Last night, all but 4 of the big chicks went in on their own. They now know the coop is their home and where they eat.

I keep the baby chicks in a brooder inside the coop, but I want to slowly integrate them to the pack. They used to sleep inside the house in 2 different brooders right next to each other up until 4 days ago.

To avoid having to carry food out of the coop every day, I left the food inside coop today. The big chicks now know where to go to eat. But this creates a problem because I don't want to have the baby chicks locked up all day in the brooder. I'd like to give them free access to the coop (at least).

Today the big chicks started hanging inside the coop when I opened the brooder. I truly believe they are showing their dominance towards the baby chicks. When the baby chicks go out, the big ones don't like it and chase them inside their brooder. As soon as I locked them in, the big chicks went out to the yard to hang out, like they do every day.

What should I do? In the video you can see them hanging inside the coop. No signs of aggression in that video but trust me there is aggression.

Should I put all the chicks outside for the time being (with food and water) and let them handle it themselves?

Which comes to my next problem: I'm trying to teach the big girls to eat out of the no-spill containers. If I leave food outside I will need to give the baby chicks food from their usual container and I'm afraid the big chicks will eat all their food cause they're still no crazy about the no-spill container.

 

[Richard Pryor]

 

[aart]

Nice coop and brooder area!
How big is the coop, in feet by feet?
How big is the run, again in feet by feet?
Vid of coop is great, vid or pics of run would help too.

So the littlers have only been in the coop for 4 days?
I'd keep them confined a bit longer so the biggers to get more used to their presence.
Also give the biggers more time get used to their new feeder,
remove any other feeders for them, maybe put some feed on the lip of the pipes.
Hopefully their necks are all long enough to reach down to the level of feed.
Yes, the bigs will eat out of the littles feeder, might want multiple littler sized feeders.

Not sure if 2 groups are too close to same size to prop brooder door to where littles can get in and out but biggers cannot...that can really work well for integration.

Just some observations.
Another suggestion would be to get some 8x16x2 pavers to use as stepping stones in front of the feeders. I have a mix of them, and some regular bricks, very handy.
Would also move one of those bin feeders to other end of coop, harder for older birds to 'guard' them both, and move water bucket to give all around access. Are the littles drinking from HN's already?

 

[Richard Pryor]

Hi @aart . Thx for your response. The coop is 8x16 and the run is a fenced 50x50 area. Excuse the mess, I'm still working on it.

Both have been in the coop 4-5 days. Before that, they were all inside the house in 2 brooders right next to each other, so they are familiar with each other.

The biggers are now used to the feeder, and also that the feeder is inside the coop. First few days a few didn't want to go in the coop to eat, so I think they were hungry. Now they all go inside to eat.

Last night all the biggers went inside the coop at night to sleep (yay!). 4 days of getting them in one by one paid off. They now know it's their new home and I think they're happy.

The paver/brick idea: the biggers have no problem eating out of the bins, but they're definitely still too big/deep for the littlers.

As you can see in the following video, the littlers have room to hide if they want to on the other brooder next to where I store the feed (I'll close that area for a broody or sick hen soon).

And in this final video, a Black Copper Maran escaped and they were bullying him outside.

The littles are not drinking out of the nipples yet. They have their standard waterer. So do the big ones on the run since I don't mind a little spilling outside. They do know how to drink from the nipples, though. Ok, I'll move one feeder and remove waterer.

Should I move the no-spill feeders outside and put them at different spots? I kind of want them to associate feeding with being inside coop because moving food in-out every day is a PITA and I cannot leave outside because of rats/mice.

I just closed the ador1 and gave the littlers free access to coop. I don't want them locked up all day.

 

[aart]

Ok, I'll move one feeder and remove waterer.

No, just move the waterer so everyone has easy access to all sides of it.
Once they are all integrated you can keep all feed and water inside the coop, I do.

Might be tight quarters in that coop for 38 birds...maybe some will be leaving(cockerels)?

Nice run space, maybe put some distractions out there, inside too.

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.

 

[Richard Pryor]

Thx for the reply @aart

Yes, some will leave. The littlers are all straight run. I plan on keeping 3 roosters so the final count will probably be around 32, which would match the coop's square footage with the 4' per chicken rule. I figured with a large run I could get away with a few more chickens.

I'll keep you posted and hopefully all goes well. Otherwise I'll post again. Thanks for the great tips!

 

[Mrs. K]

I don't think you are going to have any or very little trouble at all. There is no way your established flock will be able to chase all those chicks relentlessly, it takes a lot of energy. Just introducing a large group of chicks like that gives them an advantage.

The one thing I do see or rather would like to see is that there is no hideouts in that run. It is a wide open space, but it is only really 2 dimensional. Your birds would be happier if you added some more junk to it. Pound a couple of fence posts, and tie a pallet to it, making a short wall. Place a feed station behind it, that cannot be seen from the current feeder. Use a single set of cement blocks and place a pallet on top of it. Feed under it, the smaller birds will be able to eat under there without any problem. The bigger birds will be able to get there too, but it will be uncomfortable, and once they find out you did not put choice feed there, the littler ones can eat in piece. A piece of drift wood, or even a man made roost gives birds places to get away from each other. Lean a pallet up against the wall, gives a hide out, and gives shade. Shade and hideouts are important for chickens. All these things keeps it from being a wide open race with an attacking hen. Obstacles will slow her down, and allow the youngster to get out of reach.

All of your bird will be happier by a more cluttered run. Allowing bird to lay in the shade or sun on a roost. It makes more use of the third dimension of space.

At this time, I would not worry about the spill proof feeders, I would feed everyone in bowls, double bowling it with a bigger bowl on the bottom will save some feed, but until they have calmed down, and it should take less than a week, I would want to make sure everything is getting enough feed.

Another trick, once you have the hideouts set up, let the big girls out of the run for an afternoon. Lock them out, let the little ones out into the run, and then mildly chase them a bit, so they 'find' the hideouts, before being chased for their lives. At dark, let the big ones in. If it is dusk when you do this, the older girls may give a few chases, but will be ready to roost. Your younger birds will stay out until near dark, as they are like teenagers and want to stay out late. They will then go to roost, but the older girls will be mostly comatose. There may be a squabble or two, but I would not fret it.

Mrs K