Integrating my new chicks into flock

[Jlkmommy]

Hi there! This is my first real post so please bear with me as I figure out this site. I am posting pics of my setup. Large coop with automatic door to large 16'X16' run. My one year old mixed flock (11 hens) free range when we open the Run human door each day. I have 5 one month old chicks I need to integrate with this flock. I have read other tips on sectioning off part of the coop for the newbies for several weeks and most people said pics of their setup would help. My hens roost on the top roost poles and a couple in the attic and one on the ladder. They ALL lay in the corner spot between all those nesting boxes. (eye roll). Where would you put the pullets? Do they stay inside and not go into the run? How does that all work when you release them? Do they free range? Any and all advice please!!!

 

[Mrs. K]

Beautiful set up! Love the light in your coop - but that might be the reason they are laying in the dark corner.

I like my chicks and hens to work out integration on their own hook. I put my chicks in a dog crate at night, put the crate in the coop at night. Then the first few days, I put my chicks in a safety zone in the run. It is fenced so that chicks can get into it easily, but hens cannot follow them. Away from the safety zone - I set up a pallet, up on low bricks, another place where chicks can escape to, but hens can't follow them.

Then I let the hens out, lock the chicks in the run. I sit down there with my cup of coffee and wait until a chick gets brave enough to come out of the safety zone, and I give a mock chase back to the safety zone. They figure it out pretty quick. I let the hens in late in the day. Watching carefully for a bit. I want the chicks to venture out, escape back to safety, learning to respect the hens, but not letting the hens kill them. The hens get used to them pretty quick.

Then I just leave the dog crate in the safety zone, and after one or two times, they just go into it near dark, I carry it in to the coop. Once I see the chicks out and about among the hens I no longer lock them in the crate. I just leave the crate open, and generally by the time I get down to them, they are out and about. After a day or two, they find their way back into the coop into the crate by themselves.

I have a lot of hideouts - which I really don't see in your run. If you look, you will see that a hen can really see every other bird 100% of the time. You would do better to add more clutter to the run. This lets birds get out of sight and out of mind of the other birds, and makes more use of the vertical space in the run.

I posted a post on cluttered runs, and people posted all kinds of runs that had clutter if you want some ideas. Also, clutter allows you to put out feed in one spot, so that a bird eating at another sight cannot see that bird eating. Helps a lot.

Mrs K

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

If you put your general location into your profile it will help people give you better-targeted advice. Climate matters.

In re: the chicks,
Here are some useful articles on integration:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-“see-but-don’t-touch”-method.67839/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/adding-to-your-flock.47756/

In re: laying in the dark corner, I see that your nests are open-topped. If you switched to a more enclosed box style it will probably help because chickens generally prefer to lay in a dark, sheltered spot rather than a place that feels too exposed.

 

[Jlkmommy]

Thank you! i live in North Texas. It is getting warmer here, highs in the 70’s-80’s during the day and 40’s-60’s at night. We have a lot of pallets and stuff around that I can put in the run. Great tip. And thank you for helping me solve the all eggs in one spot mystery. I will get a couple enclosed nesting boxes. I can also cover the windows up to make it darker in there. It is pretty light and the window in the attic is not screened so I don’t need it for ventilation and it faces west.

 

[3KillerBs]

I can also cover the windows up to make it darker in there. It is pretty light and the window in the attic is not screened so I don’t need it for ventilation and it faces west.

Are you saying that your windows aren't operable for ventilation?

If so, it would be better to take out the glass, replace it with hardware cloth, and add top-hinged covers for rain-protection. Like this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/window-support-for-top-hinged-windows.74810/ The covers could either be clear for light or solid for shade.

Heat and ammonia both rise so top-level ventilation is absolutely critical.

 

[Jlkmommy]

Are you saying that your windows aren't operable for ventilation?

If so, it would be better to take out the glass, replace it with hardware cloth, and add top-hinged covers for rain-protection. Like this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/window-support-for-top-hinged-windows.74810/ The covers could either be clear for light or solid for shade.

Heat and ammonia both rise so top-level ventilation is absolutely critical.

View attachment 3052907

N

Are you saying that your windows aren't operable for ventilation?

If so, it would be better to take out the glass, replace it with hardware cloth, and add top-hinged covers for rain-protection. Like this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/window-support-for-top-hinged-windows.74810/ The covers could either be clear for light or solid for shade.

Heat and ammonia both rise so top-level ventilation is absolutely critical.

View attachment 3052907

no, there are 2 side windows covered with hardware cloth for ventilation as well as the human door/automatic door. as well as vents in the top of the side walls. the attic window is the only window that is not ventilated. We also scoop the poop out daily and keep the human door open during the day.

 

[Jlkmommy]

Beautiful set up! Love the light in your coop - but that might be the reason they are laying in the dark corner.

I like my chicks and hens to work out integration on their own hook. I put my chicks in a dog crate at night, put the crate in the coop at night. Then the first few days, I put my chicks in a safety zone in the run. It is fenced so that chicks can get into it easily, but hens cannot follow them. Away from the safety zone - I set up a pallet, up on low bricks, another place where chicks can escape to, but hens can't follow them.

Then I let the hens out, lock the chicks in the run. I sit down there with my cup of coffee and wait until a chick gets brave enough to come out of the safety zone, and I give a mock chase back to the safety zone. They figure it out pretty quick. I let the hens in late in the day. Watching carefully for a bit. I want the chicks to venture out, escape back to safety, learning to respect the hens, but not letting the hens kill them. The hens get used to them pretty quick.

Then I just leave the dog crate in the safety zone, and after one or two times, they just go into it near dark, I carry it in to the coop. Once I see the chicks out and about among the hens I no longer lock them in the crate. I just leave the crate open, and generally by the time I get down to them, they are out and about. After a day or two, they find their way back into the coop into the crate by themselves.

I have a lot of hideouts - which I really don't see in your run. If you look, you will see that a hen can really see every other bird 100% of the time. You would do better to add more clutter to the run. This lets birds get out of sight and out of mind of the other birds, and makes more use of the vertical space in the run.

I posted a post on cluttered runs, and people posted all kinds of runs that had clutter if you want some ideas. Also, clutter allows you to put out feed in one spot, so that a bird eating at another sight cannot see that bird eating. Helps a lot.

Mrs K

Thank you for the help. i did cover the light source up from the attic of the coop to make it darker and I also provided 2 darker nesting boxes I bought a TS. That really solved the mystery of why 11 hens all laid in the corner. I have read through your response and the other links, so I just want to clarify. bring the dog crate I am brooding the chicks in out to the run and replace the opening with a cardboard door with chick sized escape holes, keep the chicks in the run during the day and provide a lot of clutter in the run. Bring the chicks into the coup at night in the kennel. Correct? Only problem with that method is we live in the country and there are alot of predators so we don’t want our young chicks to free range until they are 6 months old. Not sure how to accomplish that when we let the current flock put to free range at noon each day and they come through the open run door to get to the coop to go lay.

 

[Mrs. K]

Oh no - not that. If you have a run, and do a lot of free ranging, I would lock the layers out of the run. Let the chicks have run of the run. I train mine to sleep in an enclosed dog crate, so I just set the crate out in the run in a safety zone, and near dark, they go into it. I head down the first couple of nights to make sure they get there before dark, so I can see. Then I just place the crate in the coop, with the door latched, in the morning, I open the latch and they find their way out to the run with the safety zone. With in a week, they will actually find the crate in the coop, if your coop is not too hard for chicks to get into.

In the run, I section off an area with lattice or pallets, or fencing materials that are big enough that the chicks go through it like water, and too small for hens to go through it. I have that set up, and I place the crate inside it. The hens are out free ranging, and the run is locked up. My set up has it so that birds can access the coop and nests from the outside. But if not, I would just place a nest near where they come in.

Then I sit down there and wait or check frequently. Once the chicks start exploring the area beyond the safety zone - I give them a mock chase, and they will retreat into the safety zone. Once they have that figured out, I quit worrying. And I let my hens back in.

Now the big thing is, the safety zone needs a lot of entrances, so that a chick cannot be trapped away from safety.

They will venture out, retreat, out retreat. I keep food in the safety zone so that they get enough to eat, and water there too. Eventually I will see them just being with the hens, and it is integrated.

Chicks will be a sub flock until they start laying, but they will be accepted and part of the flock. As to waiting until they are 6 months old, I would not worry about that either. Once they are part of the flock, they really should not have any more losses than your full grown birds have. I would let mine stay with the flock. I really don't see how you are going to let out part of the flock and not the other part. Do you have a rooster?

Mrs K

 

[Jlkmommy]

Oh no - not that. If you have a run, and do a lot of free ranging, I would lock the layers out of the run. Let the chicks have run of the run. I train mine to sleep in an enclosed dog crate, so I just set the crate out in the run in a safety zone, and near dark, they go into it. I head down the first couple of nights to make sure they get there before dark, so I can see. Then I just place the crate in the coop, with the door latched, in the morning, I open the latch and they find their way out to the run with the safety zone. With in a week, they will actually find the crate in the coop, if your coop is not too hard for chicks to get into.

In the run, I section off an area with lattice or pallets, or fencing materials that are big enough that the chicks go through it like water, and too small for hens to go through it. I have that set up, and I place the crate inside it. The hens are out free ranging, and the run is locked up. My set up has it so that birds can access the coop and nests from the outside. But if not, I would just place a nest near where they come in.

Then I sit down there and wait or check frequently. Once the chicks start exploring the area beyond the safety zone - I give them a mock chase, and they will retreat into the safety zone. Once they have that figured out, I quit worrying. And I let my hens back in.

Now the big thing is, the safety zone needs a lot of entrances, so that a chick cannot be trapped away from safety.

They will venture out, retreat, out retreat. I keep food in the safety zone so that they get enough to eat, and water there too. Eventually I will see them just being with the hens, and it is integrated.

Chicks will be a sub flock until they start laying, but they will be accepted and part of the flock. As to waiting until they are 6 months old, I would not worry about that either. Once they are part of the flock, they really should not have any more losses than your full grown birds have. I would let mine stay with the flock. I really don't see how you are going to let out part of the flock and not the other part. Do you have a rooster?

Mrs K

Ok. Thank you. We do not have a rooster. We have a dog named Roo(ster) lol! But she is only 11 months and still being trained so not trusted off leash with the hens yet. we do have a little Dutch door that leads directly into the coop. I would need to train the hens to use that door to get in. We have not used it bc we were worried about predators coming in and grabbing eggs or a chicken in the nest box,
which is right by that door. only problem is that now lets in more light right on the nesting area and I don’t think they will feel safe laying with the door right there open. Is there any reason I can’t leave the run open like usual but have my “safely zone“ in the run be completely fenced off with chicken wire and have chicks there during the day with the dog kennel and carry them in kennel to coup at night? I know they wouldn’t have the option to come in and out and be with the hens but it would be the see don’t touch method.

 

[Mrs. K]

No there is no reason...you need to do what works comfortable with your set up. I am really not patient enough to do that. I have often used broody hens, and she has them out and about much quicker than people feel comfortable with. I think you get healthier chicks the sooner they have more space. So I was just telling you what works for me.

I have a set of chicks that are a week old, unless we get terrible weather, they will be moved down to my set up between 3-4 weeks. They will be part of the flock by week 5. That is the plan - I have a new rooster, that has passed all behavior tests - this will be the last test - how he is with chicks. I am fully expecting him to be very good...he has such great personality traits already.

I am curious - have you had predator losses when you free range?

Mrs K