Integrating chicks— mean hens

[mgharris30]

Love this site!!! My coop is just under 5 ft x just over 11 ft. We installed an 8 ft roosting bar. We have:
Adults- 1 buff Orpington, 1 barred rock, 1 Appenzeller Spitsehobbin, 2 sea brights
Teens- not laying- 2 easter eggers (or barnyard mix, time will tell)
Chicks- 7 in separate coop where they can all see each other, but not touch. (Almost 6 weeks old)
I want to integrate them. However, the Orpington and barred rock are VERY territorial. The won’t let anyone but the Spitzhobin on the long roost. So, we added ladders. The teens will sleep on the highest rung. The seabrights will roost on the highest rung of different ladder. What is going to happen when I introduce the new chicks?? How long should I wait? Should I introduce just a few of the chicks at a time?? We think one of the chicks is male. He’s a bantam.
(oh, and the door is mostly wire for ventilation. The coop is cooler than the run. The teens hang out in there when it gets too hot. But they won’t let the seabirghts come in to lay )

 

[NatJ]

Roost: maybe you can put some dividers on the long roost, so the territorial ones can have a space but cannot drive the others off the entire roost.

Introducing chicks: all at once, NOT a few at a time. The hens will tend to pick on the new chicks, and doing them all at once will spread out the picking among more chicks. It also means you have them all integrated sooner, which is easier for you and the chickens than dragging it out longer.

Male chick: treat the same as any other chick at this time.

Territorial hens: maybe you can put those particular two hens in a cage or pen (or the coop the chicks are currently in), and introduce the young chicks to all the others. Once they are all comfortable together, maybe in a few days or weeks, put the bossy hens back with the group.

In general, it also helps to give them something else to think about-- clumps of sod to destroy, or a pile of compost to dig through, or anything else that is more interesting than chasing each other.

Here's a link to a post with some good tips about integration:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...bout-integration.1462197/page-2#post-24356632

 

[mgharris30]

Roost: maybe you can put some dividers on the long roost, so the territorial ones can have a space but cannot drive the others off the entire roost.

Introducing chicks: all at once, NOT a few at a time. The hens will tend to pick on the new chicks, and doing them all at once will spread out the picking among more chicks. It also means you have them all integrated sooner, which is easier for you and the chickens than dragging it out longer.

Male chick: treat the same as any other chick at this time.

Territorial hens: maybe you can put those particular two hens in a cage or pen (or the coop the chicks are currently in), and introduce the young chicks to all the others. Once they are all comfortable together, maybe in a few days or weeks, put the bossy hens back with the group.

In general, it also helps to give them something else to think about-- clumps of sod to destroy, or a pile of compost to dig through, or anything else that is more interesting than chasing each other.

Here's a link to a post with some good tips about integration:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...bout-integration.1462197/page-2#post-24356632

Amazing information!!! Thank you so much!!! Would have never thought about the dividers or putting the two meaner hens in the other coop.

 

[mgharris30]

Amazing information!!! Thank you so much!!! Would have never thought about the dividers or putting the two meaner hens in the other coop.

How much room should I have between dividers? If I remove those two birds for a bit, won’t the sleeping situation change again when they get back??

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Territorial hens: maybe you can put those particular two hens in a cage or pen (or the coop the chicks are currently in), and introduce the young chicks to all the others. Once they are all comfortable together, maybe in a few days or weeks, put the bossy hens back with the group.

Ooh. I like that idea. I have 1 mean girl. My new chicks were meeting everyone yesterday and doing well until the mean girl joined. But, I could switch and isolate her so they can hang with the others in the run.

 

[NatJ]

How much room should I have between dividers?

Maybe divide it into two or three sections? I'm not entirely sure.

(I've never actually done it myself, but I've seen it suggested on this site when other people have roost-time bullies, so I figured I'd pass the idea on.)

You might be able to make the dividers adjustable, so you can change them if the chickens change their behavior. Cardboard might work, at least as a test, since it looks solid and chickens won't usually try to push past it.

If I remove those two birds for a bit, won’t the sleeping situation change again when they get back??

Yes, it probably will. They might settle in nicely and quit being bullies, but I think they are more likely to claim their old place and chase all the others away from it. So you might want one divider making "their" space 3-4 feet long (2 feet for 2 bullies, maybe 1 foot for the hen they sometimes share with, 1 foot for space to flap wings & maneuver as they get up and down.)

 

[Ridgerunner]

I want to integrate them. However, the Orpington and barred rock are VERY territorial. The won’t let anyone but the Spitzhobin on the long roost. So, we added ladders. The teens will sleep on the highest rung. The seabrights will roost on the highest rung of different ladder.

Thanks for the photo so I better understand. That's not exactly what I would have expected. Interesting that those on the ladders will sleep there with the ladders that close together. I would have expected the aggressive ones to move to the ladders since they are higher but the top rung may be too close to the wall for their comfort. Don't be shocked to see them make some adjustments in the future.

What is going to happen when I introduce the new chicks??

As far as roosting, my chicks would sleep on the floor or somewhere else but not with the other older chickens. Maybe on the lower rungs of the ladder, hopefully not in a nest in your coop. Mine sleep on the floor at first. When I raise chicks in my grow-out coop they tend to start sleeping in the roosts when they are around 10 to 12 weeks old. I've had some start as young as 5 weeks old and a few go longer, each group is different. This is with no adults around.

But when I raise them in the main coop with the adults all bets are off. Usually they don't sleep on the roosts with the adults until they mature a lot, say about the time the pullets start to lay, but on occasions some will get on the main roosts earlier. Usually it's broody-raised chicks that do that and they are as far away from the adults on the roosts as they can get. Again each group is different, they are not consistent. But most of the time they do not sleep on the main roosts with the adults until they mature a lot.

How long should I wait?

I don't know what your overall facilities look like or what your plans are for the introduction. I like to start the introduction as early as I can. My brooder is in the coop so mine grow up with the flock. But yours didn't so that doesn't help you. I'd house the chicks in a predator-safe area where they can all see each other for a week or two, long enough or them to get used to sleeping in there so they will return at night. That could be a section of your coop or out in the run. Then let them roam together during the day and sleep separately at night for a few weeks if you can. If they are sleeping in the coop and not getting hurt I'd be very tempted to leave then alone until they make a move to somewhere else. Where they are sleeping and how hard that area is to clean may be an issue. If they are sleeping outside I'd wait until they have proven they can get along during the day before locking them together in the coop at night. Each situation is different because our flocks are different and we have different facilities. The more room the better.

Should I introduce just a few of the chicks at a time?? We think one of the chicks is male. He’s a bantam.

Agree, do all at once and treat that possible boy like all the others for now.

Good luck. Often this isn't as hard as we think it will be but sometimes it is.

 

[mgharris30]

Maybe divide it into two or three sections? I'm not entirely sure.

(I've never actually done it myself, but I've seen it suggested on this site when other people have roost-time bullies, so I figured I'd pass the idea on.)

You might be able to make the dividers adjustable, so you can change them if the chickens change their behavior. Cardboard might work, at least as a test, since it looks solid and chickens won't usually try to push past it.


Yes, it probably will. They might settle in nicely and quit being bullies, but I think they are more likely to claim their old place and chase all the others away from it. So you might want one divider making "their" space 3-4 feet long (2 feet for 2 bullies, maybe 1 foot for the hen they sometimes share with, 1 foot for space to flap wings & maneuver as they get up and down.)

They even bully each other . We’re trying to figure out how to attach the dividers.

 

[mgharris30]

My big girls are so happy in the smaller coop! Who would have thought??? I have two grown hens in a prefab coop advertised for 8 chickens. It has three nesting boxes. Anyway, they are so happy, they might just stay in that smaller coop forever.
The teens and sea brights are working on pecking order with the chicks. Nothing horrible. The other large bird is actually protecting the babies from the teens.
I added some branches with dead leaves that fell in a storm so the chicks can hide. I have two feeding/watering stations so the littles can go to the one the big girls are not at.
Thank you so much for your help!!