Integrating 5 week cochins master plan

[XscoreX]

Ok Im still pretty new to chickens. Ive read a few posts and wanted to share how Im i tegrating my 4 to 5 week old cochins into my flock. I currently have 2 silkies who are 1 year old. 3 duccles who are 9 weeks old and 5 cochins who are 5 weeks old.
When I put my duccles in at 7 weeks I had a lot of problems with the big guys bullying them. Bloody feathers and all. I tried seperating them for awhile in the coop. They seemed to settle down but they still hide from the big guys. I wanted to start the babies a little earlier and work on integration

 

[XscoreX]

First I moved them out of the brooder into a small pen i bought at a poultry show for $10. Im in nc so its pretty warm and they have most of their feathers. I put the pen in the run of my coop and wrapped 3 sides with a heavy moving blanket to keep the wind and any rain off of them. This way the big guys could drink and eat next to the little guys and get used to them

 

[XscoreX]

Ive kept the little guys in there for a week. Maybe I should do it longer. But i wanted to get them out in the coop. I moved out the pen and put up cinder blocks. This gives them somewhere to hide. The big guys cant get through the holes but the little guys can. I didnt have to buy anything or build anything. Cheap and easy. Seems to work great. If the big guys start in on them they just run to their safe place. Funny thing is that the little cochins are bullying my sweet duccles.

 

[ellie62706]

Only 10 dollars?!? Wow.

 

[XscoreX]

Only 10 dollars?!? Wow.

Yeah. When I bought my first chickens I didnt have anythung to carry them in. There was a guy there selling these carry pens for $10 . He had some that were divided into 3s and some bigger ones too. Ive seen the same thing at several poultry swaps. Its really come in handy. It would make a decent brooder as well