Hi,
This is the first time I've dealt with integrating chickens. I've read different threads and information about how to go about it. I've got 5 -3 year old hens in an 8x4 coop with a 10+ x 16 foot enclosure. I got chicks this spring and they're now 10 weeks old. 2-3 weeks ago, I set up a plastic fence barrier in the coop, giving half the coop to the old girls and 1/2 to the young ens. There's a roosting bar that goes all the way across the back of the coop. Once the youngsters figured out how to get up on it, they would be all the way over, closest to the old ones, if not touching side by side with the old ones. During the day, I let the old ones out to free range in a back yard and let the young ones out in a separate plastic fenced area. After about a week, the young ones figured out ways to escape their enclosure and they would roam around the yard as well. The old ones would be in a pack and the young ones would be in their own pack. Mostly, only the young ones could/would get into their fenced area, so I figured they had a place to go away if necessary.
I've got about 4-5 different water stations around the yard and in each side of the coop. Each side of the coop has the chicken's feed, starter for the young side, regular layer for the older side. I think they're all good for waterers and feeders. I've noticed that some of the older chickens would posture to possibly block the chickens from getting back into their enclosed area. Back when the young ones stayed in their area, I'd give scratch to both sides of the fence - so they'd be near each other eating their treats. I tried when everyone was out together to give the babies scratch, the old ones came over and the young ones moved on without much fuss.
I've got mostly heavy breeds, so the young ones are probably only about 1/2 the size of the old ones.
The last two nights I've noticed the young ones are roosting on the plastic divider between the two sections of the coop (there's about a foot at the apex of the ceiling that wasn't fenced off. This morning, the old ones were out in their enclosure and the young ones were on the old one's side of the coop.
Is this a sign that they're ready to be fully integrated? Can I take out the separating fence? If I do, what do I do about the feed? I know layer feed isn't good for the young ones, Will they naturally stay away from it? I know the older ones have sampled the started feed, I'm not really concerned about that.
janelle
This is the first time I've dealt with integrating chickens. I've read different threads and information about how to go about it. I've got 5 -3 year old hens in an 8x4 coop with a 10+ x 16 foot enclosure. I got chicks this spring and they're now 10 weeks old. 2-3 weeks ago, I set up a plastic fence barrier in the coop, giving half the coop to the old girls and 1/2 to the young ens. There's a roosting bar that goes all the way across the back of the coop. Once the youngsters figured out how to get up on it, they would be all the way over, closest to the old ones, if not touching side by side with the old ones. During the day, I let the old ones out to free range in a back yard and let the young ones out in a separate plastic fenced area. After about a week, the young ones figured out ways to escape their enclosure and they would roam around the yard as well. The old ones would be in a pack and the young ones would be in their own pack. Mostly, only the young ones could/would get into their fenced area, so I figured they had a place to go away if necessary.
I've got about 4-5 different water stations around the yard and in each side of the coop. Each side of the coop has the chicken's feed, starter for the young side, regular layer for the older side. I think they're all good for waterers and feeders. I've noticed that some of the older chickens would posture to possibly block the chickens from getting back into their enclosed area. Back when the young ones stayed in their area, I'd give scratch to both sides of the fence - so they'd be near each other eating their treats. I tried when everyone was out together to give the babies scratch, the old ones came over and the young ones moved on without much fuss.
I've got mostly heavy breeds, so the young ones are probably only about 1/2 the size of the old ones.
The last two nights I've noticed the young ones are roosting on the plastic divider between the two sections of the coop (there's about a foot at the apex of the ceiling that wasn't fenced off. This morning, the old ones were out in their enclosure and the young ones were on the old one's side of the coop.
Is this a sign that they're ready to be fully integrated? Can I take out the separating fence? If I do, what do I do about the feed? I know layer feed isn't good for the young ones, Will they naturally stay away from it? I know the older ones have sampled the started feed, I'm not really concerned about that.
janelle
