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

[U_Stormcrow]

The relative narrowness of the run provides some challenge, but otherwise, it sounds like you are off to a very good start. As @aart and other have said, places (not dead ends) to hide and break line of sight, and I think you are ready.

 

[Sarah2020]

Thank you all for your help and guidance!! We are a week in and they aren’t fully integrated so I’m continuing to try more clutter and rearrangements. When they’re free-ranging, they’re fine (for the most part) although they’re paired off - not a group which makes me a little sad. I’ve also got two chicks that will soon be ready to enter the flock and final plans for a new, much bigger coop and run which will help the situation by the time we add the two baby chicks. So far, the elder hens won’t let the teenagers into the coop so I’ve got a separate coop for them.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thank you all for your help and guidance!! We are a week in and they aren’t fully integrated so I’m continuing to try more clutter and rearrangements. When they’re free-ranging, they’re fine (for the most part) although they’re paired off - not a group which makes me a little sad. I’ve also got two chicks that will soon be ready to enter the flock and final plans for a new, much bigger coop and run which will help the situation by the time we add the two baby chicks. So far, the elder hens won’t let the teenagers into the coop so I’ve got a separate coop for them.

See my flock in Sig. The birds are essentially of three ages - either last year's late spring purchases, or the December+ hatchings, with the SLW splitting the difference. All are now integrated, sharing the run and house overnight, free ranging during the day. Actually, I need to separate and retrain them as to sleeping arrangements, now that the second house and run are built.

They continue to travel in little clusters, "mini packs" if you will, while free ranging. They don't (entirely) split by breed, though there is a weak tendency in that direction. Have yet to figure out the rules they've sorted themselves by. Not sure if its typical for all chickens, but its certainly normal for mine.

 

[aart]

although they’re paired off - not a group which makes me a little sad.

Totally normal, no reason to be sad.
The younger birds will not be part of the older flock until they start laying.
even then they may still stay segregated.

 

[Sarah2020]

Totally normal, no reason to be sad.
The younger birds will not be part of the older flock until they start laying.
even then they may still stay segregated.

thanks. I’ll need to harden up a bit when it comes to hen social politics.

 

[Sarah2020]

See my flock in Sig. The birds are essentially of three ages - either last year's late spring purchases, or the December+ hatchings, with the SLW splitting the difference. All are now integrated, sharing the run and house overnight, free ranging during the day. Actually, I need to separate and retrain them as to sleeping arrangements, now that the second house and run are built.

They continue to travel in little clusters, "mini packs" if you will, while free ranging. They don't (entirely) split by breed, though there is a weak tendency in that direction. Have yet to figure out the rules they've sorted themselves by. Not sure if its typical for all chickens, but its certainly normal for mine.

Thank you! What’s Sig?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Signature. BYC places it automatically at the bottom of all my posts.

Its my way of showing the limits of my experience. "This is what I have currently, this is how long I've had it", like my location at the left, it helps posters get an idea of where my opinion is coming from.

 

[Mamatomany123]

I just integrated my 2nd group of chicks. I was worried that my method wasnt working and injuat got lucky last time because one of my hens ket trying to kill the younger ones but turns out she just had to go

I brood the chicks in the coop from day one. That way the bigger girls get used to them being there. At around a mo th old (depending on the weather) I let then into the run. They have an od wagon fipped over and ifted on some bricks to run under that the bigger girls cant get under. I just let my batch of 6 weeknolds out and, now that we got rid of the bully, they are fine. They're running around,wating, climbing the tree branches I have set up in there. They do scream when they get too close to a big girl but the big girls arent doing anything,the littles are just scared. I do think space may be an issue for you. There isnt enough room for clutter and for them to get far enough away from the bigger girls.

Also, you'll need to come to terms that sometimes a hen just will never accept new birds. What you do then is up to you but I ended up having to get rid of my bully last night. She was escalating and it wasnt healthy for me or the other chickens.

 

[Harry4802]

I put the 8 week old chicks out in the run on Saturday, they loved it. Sunday I added the 2 year old hen. She pecked two of them once, made some I'm the boss chicken noises if they got to close and that was that. They all got along for the whole day. Very happy !!

 

[Sarah2020]

I put the 8 week old chicks out in the run on Saturday, they loved it. Sunday I added the 2 year old hen. She pecked two of them once, made some I'm the boss chicken noises if they got to close and that was that. They all got along for the whole day. Very happy !!

I wonder if it’s better to integrate them younger than me who’s trying to integrate 3-month-olds. Are yours good in the henhouse too?