Integrating young with old

[Royal Ridge Ranch]

We have 12 "babies" from one of our hens that are 8 weeks old, and three chicks that we purchased that are now 5 weeks old. What is the best way to introduce them to the rest of the flock? We have blocked off an area in the back of the coop where they are currently being housed. We would like to introduce the four roosters first, and keep the rest segregated for a few more weeks. What type of food can I give the integrated chicks that is safe for all!. Currently we have the older ones on layer pellets and the younger ones on medicated chick food.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Feed everyone whatever the youngest birds are eating.

Were the older chicks raised by a hen? If yes, is she still mothering them? It'd be best to let the hen handle integration of that batch if they were indeed raised by one.

I have no experience integrating different groups of chicks simultaneously into a flock, but pretty sure anyone else who pipes in will ask for more specifics about your flock (total number of birds and ages) as well as specifics about your set up, including coop and run (if using) size. Photos of set up may be helpful.

 

[Royal Ridge Ranch]

Feed everyone whatever the youngest birds are eating.

Were the older chicks raised by a hen? If yes, is she still mothering them? It'd be best to let the hen handle integration of that batch if they were indeed raised by one.

I have no experience integrating different groups of chicks simultaneously into a flock, but pretty sure anyone else who pipes in will ask for more specifics about your flock (total number of birds and ages) as well as specifics about your set up, including coop and run (if using) size. Photos of set up may be helpful.

The older chicks were raised by a hen, however, we placed them in a separate area with the 5 week old chicks about a week ago. The mother hen is no longer with them. I am hestitant to feed my 19 birds the medicated chick food, as it is so expensive. The chickens free range during the day and are cooped at night.

 

[danceswithronin]

Always use a divider in my experience. I like to put the chicks in a pop-up dog playpen in the center of the run where they can be right in the midst of the older hens but the older hens can't physically reach them. After a little over a full week of that (7-12 days) I can usually start integrating both groups at meal-time and observing them for aggressive behavior. It's easier to integrate more laid-back breeds than game/assertive ones imo.

 

[Royal Ridge Ranch]

Always use a divider in my experience. I like to put the chicks in a pop-up dog playpen in the center of the run where they can be right in the midst of the older hens but the older hens can't physically reach them. After a little over a full week of that (7-12 days) I can usually start integrating both groups at meal-time and observing them for aggressive behavior. It's easier to integrate more laid-back breeds than game/assertive ones imo.

Right now the younger ones are in the back of the coop, with wired wall for separation. They can all see and smell each other. I'm hoping this will help in the transition.

 

[danceswithronin]

Right now the younger ones are in the back of the coop, with wired wall for separation. They can all see and smell each other. I'm hoping this will help in the transition.

This should help. I've introduced successfully this way every time as long as I'm patient and wait at least a full week before trying to integrate the two groups. The only time I've ever had an issue is when I had one hen who was persistently aggressive to the younger chicks even after being placed in a temporary hen jail where they could interact with all the other hens but she couldn't go after them. Just a really territorial, dominant, mean-ass hen. She's also the only hen who ever tried to bite me when she was laying a nest, and she tried to bite me all the time. She also scalped my Bielefelder hen.

I eventually gave up and just rehomed her with someone else since all the other hens got along with the chicks fine. She had no aggression problems in her new large-sized flock because she started out as low man on the totem pole.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I am hestitant to feed my 19 birds the medicated chick food, as it is so expensive. The chickens free range during the day and are cooped at night.

You could switch to unmedicated, if that helps. Or all flock/flock raiser crumble. Anything that's roughly 18-20% protein, 1% calcium, and small enough for chicks to eat, would be suitable.