Integrating New Chicks to Flock HELP!

[MaggieCoop]

Okay I am VERY new to this. I got my first ever day old chicks the 1st of April, I wanted 7 chicks but two ended up being roosters so now I have 5 twelve week old pullets. On Friday I went out and picked up two more pullets who were also supposedly the same age. However, these new little ladies are TINY maybe 1/3 the size of my first girls at this point, but they all seemed to be feathered out the same amount. Anyways, I've tried putting them together for short periods of time under supervision and when things get too aggressive I've separated them for 12-24 hours and then tried again. So tonight I was putting them together again, and when the big pullets started getting aggressive my little ones ran up into the coop for the first time, then about a half hour later my other girls made their nightly journey into the coop like they always do. Here's my question, everyone went into the coop and no one picked on the new chicks. So I left them in there, they are sleeping at opposite corners of the coop, it's 5'x5' and the hatch door is open to the run. Is it safe at this point (5 days) to leave them in together tonight? Or am I pushing this too fast and going to wake up to a massacre? ANY advice please!

 

[sloanbychoice]

Honestly, you won’t truly know until morning.
So there are a ton of people who swear by introducing birds by adding them at night after bed. Supposedly, when they sort of reset in the morning, they’re less likely to fight.
So, since they all went in together, and then are sleeping together, there’s a strong chance they’ll work it out tomorrow.

That said, personally, I would go check on them very early to be sure they react ok.

 

[Pghelp]

Honestly, you won’t truly know until morning.
So there are a ton of people who swear by introducing birds by adding them at night after bed. Supposedly, when they sort of reset in the morning, they’re less likely to fight.
So, since they all went in together, and then are sleeping together, there’s a strong chance they’ll work it out tomorrow.

That said, personally, I would go check on them very early to be sure they react ok.

Good advice! It might be peaceful but I would be out there early to make sure and still supervise pretty closely for a while longer.

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC! @MaggieCoop
I hope you got the 'check on them early' message!
Good that the coop is open to the run.
How big is your run?
5x5 is tight for 7 birds,
tho your run may make up for that if it is truly predator and weather proof,
and integration works best with extra space.

Here's some tips about....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Doc7]

If there’s no blood, don’t separate.

I can hear my 5 week olds screaming bloody murder from 150 yards away when the hens get to chasing one. No problem- they need to work this out on their own. Provide escape routes and sight blockers and let nature work it out.

 

[Doc7]

Also with tiny birds you can make tiny escape doors in both the coop and run, as I did here:

 

[Mrs. K]

I think you are going to be golden, that you made it. Generally speaking when you have two age groups, they are like sub flocks until they all begin to lay eggs, then they are one flock.

I am in a similar situation this year, and it is interesting to me, that they are one flock, even though there is a considerable difference in size. None of them are laying yet, so I wonder when the two older ones start laying, if the flock will temporarily break up into sub flocks, or if they will remain a single flock.

Watching chickens is so fun.

 

[MaggieCoop]

Thank you for all the advice!! Based on what you are all saying I think I need to put more hide away safety zones in the run, no blood shed this morning, but some chasing and pecking.