integrating question

[justapirate]

So the temp outside lately is warm enough to let the chicks have some playtime outside, but come in at night. Right now I keep them inside a cage rabbit hutch (basically a caged pen with upper portion they can enter).

My question is, do you think they'd be safe enough from the adult hens if I let them out to play for a bit, not in the hutch?

Chicks are 1.5 months old. The chickens have free use of fenced in 1 acre during the day, so the chicks would have plenty of room to run and hide from the hens.

 

[SunkenRoadFarms]

I've never had luck integrating younger than 12 weeks or so. But you can try intermingling them. I'd say just keep a sharp eye. Also putting out some hiding places, like an overturned 5 gal bucket with a hole cut just large enough for the young ones to fit. Have the adult hens seen the young ones through a fence?

 

[justapirate]

Yes, they are able to walk around them when they're in the hutch. I just plop it in middle of the yard lol.

At first they were pretty curious, but now they ignore the chicks. They only seem to pay them attention when I give the chicks some treats.

I think I might try it out, but I will be keeping an eye on them.

 

[FrankA]

I have been integrating by (2) 10 week old chicks with my 1 year olds. I have been leaving them in their cage and placing the cage right up to the the older girls run. I have only been doing this since Saturday but they seem ok. At first the older hens were very apprehensive about going near that side of the run but within 20 minutes or so they were right up to cage investigating. This made the chicks get to the other side of their cage. Another few minutes and they were beak to beak! I was thinking of putting the cage inside the run for a couple of days and them letting them loose this weekend if everyone is behaving. They will be about 11 weeks old by then. Hopefully they will all get along!

 

[justapirate]

I think I will be leaving them in the cage outside with the older girls until they get a tad bit bigger lol! My chicks are only about 7 weeks old anyway.

Despite all the space the 6 hens have to roam, within minutes of letting the babies out, the hens became very interested and started pecking them. So back behind the bars they go!

Oh well, thank you for your suggestions guys