Integrating new pullets is not going so well...

[bluedubloonfarm]

What I do is have a full run, then separate it into 2 separate runs by running chicken wire through the middle, if that makes sense... this means you have to have 2 shelters though...This allows them to be protected but to get used to each other. We do this with our Nubian bucks that don't get a long and it works for us

 

[poultryman17]

Rae, what a great idea! I will put that one in my memory banks for the future. Thanks a ton

 

[blueberrychickens]

Rae, that is an awesome idea! I'm gonna have to try that, as soon as the trees have leaves on them that is.....

 

[azygous]

Rae's tree branches are awesome! I love that solution! it sounds like total fun!

I have a run that has been added onto so many times, it's got wings going off in all directions. When my chicks would come out of their panic room to explore the rest of the run, they would zip at full speed through all the little pop holes I installed in every wing. They could make a full lap at a dead run through every wing, frustrating adult hens in hot pursuit. Just when a hen thought she had a pullet cornered, the little one disappeared through a pop hole. Good times!

Some chick units are more timid than others, preferring to hang out in safety in the panic room. My latest batch were spunky and brave, using the panic room only to rest and eat in.

I'm going to try the tree branches with the next batch!

 

[Ole rooster]

Just as a prespective, I have 4 pullets that are 15 weeks old. They have been picked on from day one by the others. I've been separating them all when I throw out scratch. I put the older chickens scratch outside the pen and get them eating then throw the pullets stuff in the pen. They've all gotten the hang of what I'm doing so now the young ones go in and wait. I noticed last week the pullets have stopped going to roost on their own roost pole I set up just for them. Now they go up with the big girls now. They still get chased a tad during the day but they are all roosting together at night. Last night I noticed one of the pullets was right next to the mean ole red sexlink. That's progress.

Just stay persistant and it will get better.

 

[Zonoma]

I'm having a tough time visualizing this but it sounds clever! Do you have pictures?

I first encountered this problem a few years ago when I was trying to integrate half a dozen six-week old pullets with three older hens. I had solved the problem outside in the run by putting up a "panic room" where the small fry could run into for safety when chased. The entrances to this pen-inside-a-pen were just large enough for the pullets to dash through, not the big hens. Their food and water were also kept inside this safe enclosure.

However, inside the coop the pullets were encountering one big bully who would station herself just inside the one pop hole and pick them off as they would enter.

I got out my carpentry tools and cut another pop hole into the coop at the far opposite end. It was a big job to fashion the headers and supports for a new door, but well worth the effort.

At first, I put up a partition inside the coop, giving the pullets their own side, and the older hens had the other. But after a few weeks, I took it down. The pullets were very agile and quick to figure out how to utilize both entrances, and they continued to use the panic room in the run until they were almost the same size as the hens.

I've used this system for every new set of chicks ever since, and I am successful in integrating them at the age of six weeks into the coop with very little problem.

I hope you can use some of these ideas, and you see some success, too.

 

[mondotomhead]

I have two adult, well established hens, and my new chicks are 6 weeks old. When they were 4 weeks old, I introduced all 26 pullets to the 2 old hens. First I cut down a bunch of big tree branches and put in the pen. The chicks could dash under and through the branches but the big hens could not get through the "forrest" of branches and leaves. It worked AWESOME! It took the big hens about 30 minutes to figure out that if they try to chase a chick, the chick runs into the cover, and the hen gets poked with a protruduing stick coming off a tree branch. It was sort of a self training system. Go after chick = get poked with a tree branch.

Every morning I would let the two big hens out of the pen to free range, so they were away from the chicks, but in the evening they would go back in the pen. After a few days of this, I could safely leave the hens and chicks together 24/7 in the pen and have no trouble. It's been about 2 weeks and they now all eat together, roost together, drink together, they have no problems.

My old hen is going on 7 years old so she had VERY little inclination to buck the system. The other hen is about 1 year old and quite a bit more energetic and feisty, but the tree branches poking her in the breast meat when she tried to dive in after a chick put the kaibosh on her in a hurry!

And the chicks absolutely LOVE having all those sticks and shrubbery to climb around, through, and under. They are in chicken heaven!

I used white pine and apple. I think cedar is poision so you'd have to be careful about that.

I wanted to try this tree branch/shrubbery approach because I was afraid if the chicks had a place to retreat and hide to, they would just hide and retreat and avoid the big hens completely. With having all the shrubbery, they felt safe to venture over right next to the big hens, knowing the big ones couldn't grab them. They would come flying out of the leaves and cruise around a lap and then crash land back in the branches, and do it all over again 3 minutes later. It seemed to give them a lot of confidence and security. The big hens seemed a little confused by all these chicks rustling through the brush. It really worked out great and I would definitely use this system again if I needed to.

This is an awesome idea! When I intergrate my (hopefully) new-hatched chickens I'm going to try this. You BYCer's come up with the best ideas

 

[Happy Chooks]

The key to integrating chicks at that age is to have lots of space so the little ones can get away. The more chicks the better, makes it harder for the hens to fixate on one chick. I currently have 11 9 week old chicks fully integrated with 11 hens and a rooster.

I started with locking them in my broody area of my coop for about 10 days so they could interact with the flock but not get hurt. Then I wedged the door so the babies could come in and out, but the hens cannot get in. They only used this for a few days, and when I noticed it wasn't being used, I removed the door. After about a week of staying in the coop all day, they are now venturing out into the run. (coop is 8X12 and the run is 30 ft X 50 ft) They still get chased if they get too close to a couple of hens, but most of them ignore them. My rooster is very protective of them and comes running if he hears them cheeping.

 

[Coop de Grille]

I have six hens and a rooster that are 3 and a half months old. I put up a chicken wire wall and put my 22 six week old pullets on the other side. After a week I let one of my hens in with the pullets and she pecked and chased them so I brought her back into her side. I figured it was too soon. I like the idea of opening just wide enough for the pullets to get through, but not my hens. Right now my pullets have no access to the outdoor run and I really would like them to get outside. I'm going to try the small opening in the doorway tomorrow and see what happens.

I think my hens might be getting ready to lay. They have grown up with my cat being in and out of their coop/run while I'm working out there. But this week my cat came in like usual and went to sit in the next box and my hens FREAKED. One of them came up and pecked her so bad that the cat ran out the pop door and into the run. The hen chased her, and pecked her from one end of the run to the other before I was able to catch her.

Today, my cat was on the OUTSIDE of the run, and one of the hens put her head down and charged at the fence! I'm afraid of them doing this to my pullets. I have 13 two week olds that will be outgrowing the brooder soon and I need the one side of the coop for them soon.

 

[Anna_MN]

I figured I would give an update: on Easter the door on the coop became unlatched and our 3 year old Gold Star flew up into the coop and had an opportunity to slaughter all of the 8 week olds if she really wanted to. Instead she walked down the outside ramp and ate peacefully in the grass with all of the babies. I have no idea how or why she didn't kill them since she went from flying at the fence trying to get at them and pecking them when she could, to being their loving mother. Does anyone have an explenation for this? I sure don't!