Integrating 3-month-olds with 1-year-olds

[Sarah2020]

Hello everyone!

I've read a lot about integrating new chickens and some camps that say "just throw them in" others that say "sneak them in at night" and others that say "slowly let them see but not touch." We decided to do a see and not touch method. We have the 3-month olds (one buff orp & one rhode island red) on one side of the run and the 1-year-olds (Amerecaunas) on the other, completely separated but they can see each other.

Well today, my husband stuck them all in the run without the door to divide them and I found out after the fact (probably less than an hour). Now, I look outside and see all four of them laying as close as they can be to each other with the divider in-between (picture below). Should I take this to mean they're ready for full integration?

 

[Harry4802]

I would like to know about this also. I have 3, 7 week olds and one 2 yr old. All hens. When can they be together ?

 

[Yardmom]

How did they act when together? There is always pecking order to establish, but if they didn't fight or chase hard they are ready. You may want provide places to hide that they can't get trapped just in case. I leave my food barrels a little out from the corners.

 

[BDutch]

You’re never sure until you try. If the younger chicks are about 8 weeks old and clever enough it can work. Supervise them when you open the gate.

If the big ones peck but not too hard, they probably will be okay. Best make openings to a safe part of the run for the younger ones. They will go back to their own run again if they get annoyed of the pecking.

Separated food and drinking spaces help too.

 

[Yardmom]

I would like to know about this also. I have 3, 7 week olds and one 2 yr old. All hens. When can they be together ?

If they are old enough to be outside they are old enough to integrate.

 

[Sarah2020]

How did they act when together? There is always pecking order to establish, but if they didn't fight or chase hard they are ready. You may want provide places to hide that they can't get trapped just in case. I leave my food barrels a little out from the corners.

One of the elders pecked and chased. The other simply chattered to tell them they're lower in pecking order. The one that pecked had done it quite a few times and the younger ones squeal pretty hard but I can't tell if it's a "hard peck" or a "soft peck" other than the squeal and a feather lost (maybe pulled out) but no blood. I only let them interact in the yard where they can free range and run far. I do have some hiding spots in the run and two food and water stations.

 

[Sarah2020]

You’re never sure until you try. If the younger chicks are about 8 weeks old and clever enough it can work. Supervise them when you open the gate.

If the big ones peck but not too hard, they probably will be okay. Best make openings to a safe part of the run for the younger ones. They will go back to their own run again if they get annoyed of the pecking.

Separated food and drinking spaces help too.

How do you gauge a peck that's "too hard"? I've been wondering because I'm new to this. The younger ones squeal and run and seem afraid of the older ones but there hasn't been any blood.

 

[Phoenixxx]

A "too hard" peck will draw blood. I have never seen a hen do that to any youngsters in my ten years of raising chickens, usually you only see that between two roosters engaged in battle (and occasionally if you have an aggressive rooster that goes for a human - we tend to bleed a heck of lot more when attacked than they do, for some reason!). Chickens are flock animals, their goal is to get along as an orderly society, not kill each other. I usually toss my new birds in at between 3 and 6 weeks, depending on the weather. Only once did I have to remove a group of chicks (there were only 4, and over a dozen adults saying, "you're below me!" So it was a bit too rough for them) and put them back in the brooder until they were 6 or 7 weeks before trying again

 

[BDutch]

How do you gauge a peck that's "too hard"? I've been wondering because I'm new to this. The younger ones squeal and run and seem afraid of the older ones but there hasn't been any blood.

I didn’t know for sure. I don’t have much experience with this.
If there is blood you need to seperate them. I seperate chicks from peckers when it looks harsh to me. Once I tried again a week later with a separate cage/box where the chicks could hide and where they had water and food . That worked great.

 

[Sarah2020]

A "too hard" peck will draw blood. I have never seen a hen do that to any youngsters in my ten years of raising chickens, usually you only see that between two roosters engaged in battle (and occasionally if you have an aggressive rooster that goes for a human - we tend to bleed a heck of lot more when attacked than they do, for some reason!). Chickens are flock animals, their goal is to get along as an orderly society, not kill each other. I usually toss my new birds in at between 3 and 6 weeks, depending on the weather. Only once did I have to remove a group of chicks (there were only 4, and over a dozen adults saying, "you're below me!" So it was a bit too rough for them) and put them back in the brooder until they were 6 or 7 weeks before trying again

Oooh! This gives me hope. It's so hard to hear the little one cry out but it's probably mostly me being too sensitive vs. letting them work it out and watching for blood.