Integrating the flock

[babyrnlc]

We have a middle chick that is lonely, but I am not sure what to do with her. We have two 9-12 month old hens. They are in the big coop. We had two barred rock chicks. A dog got one of them. (We have since fixed what the problem was.) Now there is a 2 month old chick alone

We have 5 one month old chicks. (We also have 6 one week old chicks) Penny, does not fit with the big girls, but she does not fit with the little ones either. She desparately wants to be with one of the groups. We have her in the bottom coop alone. She has access to the run, but the opening is too small for the hens, so she occationally goes out into the run and it is getting more and mroe and they are starting to ignore her, she will run back into her coop if the girls get too close.

We had them all out free ranging the other day and the two hens run around together, and she kept trying to sneak in with them, they would run at her and she would run back to me. You could tell she really wanted them. We had the chicks in a cage outside for them to play (it was 70 degrees) and she wanted in with them. We let them play together , but the bigger chicks kept pecking at her! She did peck back once. Out of the big chicks (1 month olds) we may have 4 roos, it is looking like at least 3 maybe 4. So they will be going to a friends house. That would leave one pullet. Could I put Penny with that pullet when it can be without heat and then they could join the other girls.

So do I try and get her in with the big ones, or do I try and wait a bit more for the little chicks to get bigger and get her with them (or it, if it is one pullet) and then introduce all of them to the big girls? Also I have these other chicks a few weeks behind, would they all be able to get together when they get bigger and then add them to the big coop?

I want to get down to one coop and one run.

 

[Judy]

Every flock is a little different. It may not work out well til they are all the same size. Trying them together while free ranging may be your best bet. You could distracting them with treats if you aren't already. Another trick is placing them together on the roost after dark. They can't really see at night, and they have very short memories.

Mine are all together, have been almost since hatch; I have a group of 4 week chicks, one pullet around 3 months, and 7 older hens. They do not hang around together as a group. The pullet stays off by herself, and the chicks stay in a group by themselves (their mama has just stopped being a mama to them.) The pullet gets closer and closer to the flock as her size gets closer to theirs.

I would think the two groups of chicks would do better than chicks and hens. My almost grown pullet is comfortable around the young chicks, and they with her, since the mama kicked them out.

Good luck.

 

[babyrnlc]

So I went out to give the girls some scratch cause its a little cold and Penny was outside with the big girls. They occationally shewed her away, but not pecking her, just at her, but then they were tolerating her. It was great! I think she is starting to fit in!

 

[mgw]

Sadly, there is a pecking order and no way around it. Sounds like things are starting to get better though, it just takes a little time.