Integrating standard brahmas with bantam brahmas. Looking for tips.

[LemonDragon]

Hi there! Backyard flock, here. I have 3 brahmas (3 years old) and I just picked up 4 bantam brahmas (5-6 weeks old). I'm just looking for any tips or ideas to make integration easier on everyone. Also wondering if anyone here has done this with bantam brahmas.
They are currently in separate coops, and can see each other. I have really high hopes, as my big girls are very sweet and docile. The big girls mill around the little coop a bit, they really don't seem threatened or even very interested.
My rough plan, that I stole from a chicken blog, to be executed in about 3 or 4 weeks time is as follows...
-let new chickens out for a few min to free range
-then after a few minutes let older girls out to greet them
-If too much fighting I will separate and try again the next evening
-come dusk, hoping the new girls follow the older ones into their coop.
-if not, I'll wait until dark and move them into the big coop. SURPRISE!

let me know what you think about the plan, and if anything could be amended ...tips/advise/words of encouragement welcome. Thanks.

 

[3KillerBs]

First, you should be quarantining your new acquisitions for several weeks or even a month.

Beyond that, here are a few useful articles on integration:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-“see-but-don’t-touch”-method.67839/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/adding-to-your-flock.47756/

 

[aart]

They are currently in separate coops, and can see each other.

But are the enclosures touching(sharing a wall)?
How big is your main coop, in feet by feet?
Pics would help here.

I'm thinking tiny doors would work well.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/


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/

 

[NatJ]

I'm thinking tiny doors would work well.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

I agree that small doors could work well, since the young ones are also bantams and the older ones are also large chickens-- there should be plenty of size difference to work with.

Integration with that method is really simple: adjacent pens, small doors the big chickens cannot go through, let the little ones mingle at their own pace because they can always run back to their own safe space.

I have really high hopes, as my big girls are very sweet and docile. The big girls mill around the little coop a bit, they really don't seem threatened or even very interested.
My rough plan, that I stole from a chicken blog, to be executed in about 3 or 4 weeks time is as follows...
-let new chickens out for a few min to free range
-then after a few minutes let older girls out to greet them
-If too much fighting I will separate and try again the next evening
-come dusk, hoping the new girls follow the older ones into their coop.
-if not, I'll wait until dark and move them into the big coop. SURPRISE!

If you use this method, I would try multiple days of letting both groups out, but let each group go back to their own pen to sleep, before trying to have them sleep together.

Does your main coop have more than one roost? The big hens might not let the little newcomers sleep on "their" roost. A second roost would give the little ones a place to sleep then. But do make sure the roosts are far enough apart that chickens on one cannot peck chickens on the other.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would let your BIG birds out to free range, and then I would move the littles to the big girls coop /run. I would then put the big girls in where you have the small birds now. For a day or two. This will let the littles explore the new coop without being chased for their lives. And I swear it lets the big girls see the littles in that space and the sky does not fall.

THEN I would turn everyone out to free range, and then I would let them sleep where they want - after a week, I would close up the coop I don't want them to use.

Mrs K