Integrating new chicks????? Advice please

[DianaMallory]

Oh what a nightmare! Everyone makes it sound so simple and I have found that it takes longer than most told me. And it was a lot of work! I will never do this again! I did this a few years back. expanded my flock, weeks and weeks of side by side runs so they could see each other. Separate housing. It was a pain in the bum. Then I split the main run and made a separate pop door and made the new ones a space inside the coop. A couple weeks of that. Then when the chicks were as big as my other girls I went in the coop at night and put the new ones on the roost with older ones and removed all barriers. Yes the new ones still had to go through the pecking order but they were big enough to handle themselves.
I just decided to add some more to my flock, because I had a hen go broody, so I tried to put the babies under her and she rejected them and injured 3 of them. They are in the brooder box now and going to my daughters as soon as she moves. That is how much fun I had integrating flocks. I won't do it again!
But GOOD LUCK!

 

[azygous]

That's a good idea. It would really help, though, if we could see a photo of the coop and run set up so we could get even more ideas.

 

[abottrell]

We had our 4x5.5 coop and small run for our 6 pullets. My hubby added a 4x2.5 brooder/addition to the outside wall for the babies. It shares a common wall and the bottom space attaches to the run. As of right now, they can only see each other outside the coops.

 

[azygous]

It appears the two age groups are already mingling with no problem. It may be you are already past the integration stage.

If that is so, why not just make an entrance from the brooder section into the adult coop section, and let the chicks go and come as they want?

Usually, it's during the day out in the run that you'll see conflicts between big and small. They all seem to be doing well together so maybe you don't have a problem that needs fixing.

 

[abottrell]

They can't get to each other yet. There is chicken wire separating them on the bottom and a wall between the coops. I was thinking of making 2 small doors, one on each level so there is a door in the shared wall of the coop and one in the bottom in the chicken wire.

 

[azygous]

I would make four doors all together, two on each level, as far apart as possible. Then I think you're good to go!

 

[roadkinggirl63]

This has been very interesting and helpful, as I would like to get more chicks and expand the flock,so they cannot be only pets, but we maybe able to have enough eggs to sell, and still be able to give to our choir members and friends at church. My husband thought we needed plans to make a chicken coop, as he is a mechanic, not a carpenter. My girlfriend and I had it all figured out, but we had to stick to plans. These plans were out of Building Chicken Coops for Dummies.What a mistake, as I think whoever wrote the book is an idiot and has never built anything, Anyway, my girlfriend and I wanted to go with our original plan, which we just planned out of experience, you know 16" on center, put the door and window where you want it, just move jack studs, and make some adjustments for studs etc. But, as I said, we had to go by the book. So, we had to add more studs to support areas for the walk in door, the window and the chicken door. We also had to add studs to be able to attach sheathing outside. I want to add an outside brooder to my 9x8 Taj-Ma-Cluck, but this will be tricky to find the studs to attach it to!!! Please say a prayer for me!! And any ideas will be appreciated.