I've read a couple of threads on this subject, and just wanted to start one of my own addressing our particular set up.
We have three "big girls" who are about four years old--a RIR, a Buff Orp, and a Black Austrolorp. We started out with seven, lost one early on, and then lost our Wyandotte to an infection and both Barred Rocks to hawks
. The Buff is definitely 'low girl' on the totem pole, and the Austrolorp is the only one who goes broody once or twice a year.
ANYHOO--ON February 27 we got four Easter Eggers. They are currently in a box in our basement, as we live in PA and the weather is just now starting to get nice.
I would like to integrate these chicks ASAP, as that seems to go a little smoother from what I've read. One of the chicks is ultimately going (somehow, some way) as he is a he, not a she. Still working on finding him a place, would rather not just put him down.
SO. This is our coop-part of a shed.
Roosting bars (with poop hammock, what a wonderful thing that is!!) to the left, food and water in the middle....and nesting boxes on the right, like so:
You can see to the right, where the pop door to outside is.
(Gratuitous pic of our three remaining girls, plus the late Wynona [RIP] on the roosts
If you look at the first pic, we are thinking of putting up a small area for the little kids to the left of where the roosts are. We'd leave the chicken wire up between the two areas for now, so it will be a 'see but not touch' time. Will provide food/water for the littles in their area, and we can provide a heat lamp [SECURE] because we still have our extension cord run to the shed for now.
So my questions are:
- how long do we keep them in this separate area?
-should we then make a SMALL entrance into the "little kid"' part so they can come and go but the "big girls" can't?
-our run is accessed ONLY from the pop door--how do we handle that with the little kids? I know they'll have to be bigger to go outside, and hopefully by then the big girls will have accepted them....We use an Omlet movable fence, so it wouldn't be especially easy to have separate outside areas since the big girls still need to go inside to lay their eggs/eat/drink.
Obviously this is our first time integrating little ones with big ones, and I am NERVOUS!
Suggestions and ideas are welcome and appreciated!!
We have three "big girls" who are about four years old--a RIR, a Buff Orp, and a Black Austrolorp. We started out with seven, lost one early on, and then lost our Wyandotte to an infection and both Barred Rocks to hawks
. The Buff is definitely 'low girl' on the totem pole, and the Austrolorp is the only one who goes broody once or twice a year. ANYHOO--ON February 27 we got four Easter Eggers. They are currently in a box in our basement, as we live in PA and the weather is just now starting to get nice.
I would like to integrate these chicks ASAP, as that seems to go a little smoother from what I've read. One of the chicks is ultimately going (somehow, some way) as he is a he, not a she. Still working on finding him a place, would rather not just put him down.
SO. This is our coop-part of a shed.
Roosting bars (with poop hammock, what a wonderful thing that is!!) to the left, food and water in the middle....and nesting boxes on the right, like so:
You can see to the right, where the pop door to outside is.
(Gratuitous pic of our three remaining girls, plus the late Wynona [RIP] on the roosts
If you look at the first pic, we are thinking of putting up a small area for the little kids to the left of where the roosts are. We'd leave the chicken wire up between the two areas for now, so it will be a 'see but not touch' time. Will provide food/water for the littles in their area, and we can provide a heat lamp [SECURE] because we still have our extension cord run to the shed for now.
So my questions are:
- how long do we keep them in this separate area?
-should we then make a SMALL entrance into the "little kid"' part so they can come and go but the "big girls" can't?
-our run is accessed ONLY from the pop door--how do we handle that with the little kids? I know they'll have to be bigger to go outside, and hopefully by then the big girls will have accepted them....We use an Omlet movable fence, so it wouldn't be especially easy to have separate outside areas since the big girls still need to go inside to lay their eggs/eat/drink.
Obviously this is our first time integrating little ones with big ones, and I am NERVOUS!
Suggestions and ideas are welcome and appreciated!!
. Roosting like big hens even though it’s only a few inches high. Too cute.
