Integrating young pullets with mature hens - what's the best age?

[Beekissed]

I find the best age to integrate is 2-3 wks....they aren't so small they can't escape the big birds and they aren't so big the big birds see them as food competition. Especially if you have a free range setup, as the young chicks hang near the coop and the older birds are outdoors most of the day. I've never had a chick injured by integrating at this age and never even saw any overt aggression towards them at that age and they all eat out of the same trough together.

 

[lazy gardener]

Bee, I agree that early is best, no matter the set up. I think that folks are running into problems when their birds are in an enclosed run/coop situation where real estate is at a premium, and they feel compelled to defend their space and food source. When they have acres of buffet in front of them, there is no such competition. My pullets, integrated at 13 weeks into a flock of 13 hens + 1 roo are doing very well. Unfortunately, they are in enclosed 500 s.f. run and 120 s.f. coop. I would have integrated them at 6 weeks if life hadn't gotten in the way. There are always so many things to do that some of the would'a, should'a, could'a's get moved to the back burner.

 

[lcertuche]

I was going to wait longer but I had a couple of my 5-week olds escape and when I went out to the yard they ran up to me with the older chickens. My older one still peck at them but it rarely seems malicious but more of out of 'As long as your here!', they get a quick peck and then back to business. I do try to integrate them slowly. First, I set them in the coup in a cage. They can see each other. They may get pecked through the cage a few times. Then after a few days I grab a friendly older pullet up and put in with them. A few days later I remove them all from the cage at night and leave them in the coup. The next morning everything is alright. There will be pecks because they are chickens after all but no malicious attacks. I did have one little 5-week old meanie who would attack me and the older birds but since free-ranging he/she has out-grown the meanness factor.

 

[Sevanson Woods]

Also having this problem with one that was about same age. I bought three (Wyandottes) just a few weeks younger than my original flock (of Orps, Australorps, & bantams). I had to keep them seperated from the start because one was very sickly & died in just a few days. Not knowing what he died from & not wanting to infect my healthy flock, I kept the remaining two Wyandottes seperated together but soon had to seperate them as well when the largest of them kept pecking at the smaller one-which I soon discovered had mites. Anyway, I then integrated the larger one into the flock but they all began to peck at it. So, every night I would go into the coop with a flashlight (if I turned the overhead lights on they'd all jump of the roost) & place the frightened Wyandotte (that was usually hiding away from the flock) on the roost between a couple of the least agressive ones (usually the female Orps). Anyway, it eventually seemed to work. But by the time the smallest one was well enough to join the group they were nearly full grown (he's now actually bigger than many of the others). It has been weeks now but he is still not integrated but seems he mostly isolates himself now! Perhaps the newest is always lowest on the pecking order?

 

[COChix]

Having tried it both ways, I've found that it works best for me to integrate between 3 and 6 weeks old.  If they are integrated while they are younger, and smaller, they are not considered to be much of a threat to the pecking order.  Pretty much, they might get an obligatory peck if they get under foot... otherwise, they're ignored.

I have integrated three different sets of chicks now with our adult flock and I agree with you on this one. Seems the younger is the least difficult, the youngest has been three weeks. Of course you must provide a safe zone for the babies to escape into for proection. Haven't had any issues integrating this way. The first set if chicks I integrated at 8 weeks and it was definitely more chaotic and definite pecking order stuff going on with the older hens. Just integrated thirteen week old cockerels into our flock with our rooster and things have gone well. When the cockerels were younger they were integrated with our laying flock at three weeks.

A shot of one when younger eating with the hens.

 

[COChix]

I find the best age to integrate is 2-3 wks....they aren't so small they can't escape the big birds and they aren't so big the big birds see them as food competition.   Especially if you have a free range setup, as the young chicks hang near the coop and the older birds are outdoors most of the day.   I've never had a chick injured by integrating at this age and never even saw any overt aggression towards them at that age and they all eat out of the same trough together. 

spoken from someone who has experience that I often listen too. Thanks for the suggestions on our young cockerels. So far things have gone as I had planned and hoped.

 

[Beekissed]

A lawn chair is a permanent fixture in my coop as well....I can sit and observe what's happening at feeding time, roosting time, etc. and especially like to do so in the winter when they are confined by deep snows....gives me an idea how well they occupy the space, where improvements or downsizing numbers needs to happen, what I can do to keep them occupied, etc.

When I don't have a mama for chicks, I brood them right in the coop in a haybale brooder with a netting topper. This allows the big birds to see them and they get to react to the sounds of the big flock. When they are 2 wks old I pull a few of the bales apart to make a chick size door and continue to feed them for another week in the brooder space but they can come and go into the coop space and outside the coop itself if they so desire...and they do, surprisingly enough.

After week 3 the brooder is take down and they are given a huddle box, usually a side turned bushel apple basket with a little hay in the bottom edge. They then eat with the main flock and in the same trough. By then they are out of the coop most of the day ranging around the coop. By then integration has been a done deal and no pecking or aggression noted by the rest of the flock....of course, I use breeds that are not known for undue aggression and I cull for temperament, so that contributes as well.



Taking advantage of the feed while the big flock are all out ranging......

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Very cute chicks in a feeder.

I get them out there very young too, size of the set up and how confined seems to be the big determination of whether it's going to go quick or not. My birds have lots of room and lots of places for chicks to get away.

 

[carlsaSC]

I have 5 chicks about 11 weeks old now. They were hatched by a broody hen who was very protective of them for their first 7 or 8 weeks. They had been kept in separate quarters until they began free-ranging with everyone else. The elders can chase the biddies away if they compete for a food source. The biddies stick together. The rooster has been tolerant, if not solicitous. They are still separated at night, although the broody no longer stays with them. The elder hens like the biddies chick feed and will go in and out of their area to dine. All seems peaceful. I think there is one roo among the 5 chicks. I see chicken stew in someone's future.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

How do you keep the hens eating the right food?

I have my big girls on layer ration. The babies are still eating chick starter (non-medicated).

I read that the babies shouldn't eat layer till they are close to the point of lay which won't be till closer to 6 months. Do I keep them separated that entire time?