Integration 2 months in

[Estrella77]

Hi everyone!
I read a lot of good info on here about integration and I'd say we are going as well as can be expected. We did see no touch for a couple weeks, babies in cage in the coop for a while, and now for maybe a month they've been coexisting but with this open cage that mostly only the babes can fit through. The adult hens have gotten in a few times but generally stay out.
Food and water in there are always spilled.
The 4 babies (3 months old) are scared of the 3 6 month old hens, but they have never been hurt, just pecked.
They run away when the hens come near them. The hens try to scare them away from the big water and food often.
The babies sleep in the nesting box in the coop. The other 3 sleep on the roosting bar (there are 2 bars right next to each other, one not used).

For size questions:
Coop is 4x6, run is 18x9. Bigger is not happening right now sorry!

Question is-
1- Should I remove the smaller pen inside the coops so they are forced to integrate more? If so I can add clutter for sure.
2- Any way to get them to roost? I tried one night to put them on the roost, the first one got pecked instantly and ran away shrieking.

Thank you!!!

 

[CHlCKEN]

No need to move them inside, what they’re doing right now is just the natural way of hens. Older ones are asserting their dominance, everyone is figuring out the new pecking order. So long as they have their own food available they should be good. Eventually they’ll be allowed to access the other.

They’ll start roosting naturally when they are ready. No need to force them! If they’ve got perches in there, it’ll start to make sense to use them at night. Some birds just take longer than others to switch.

 

[Estrella77]

Ok great, thank you!

 

[aart]

Smaller spaces make integration much more difficult.
Would be good to put up separate roost for the youngers,
and block the nests from an hour before roost time until after dark.
Would be good to have multiple separate feed and water stations.

 

[Estrella77]

Oh I like the idea about blocking the nesting boxes. Thanks!
I wrote that wrong the run is 18x9

 

[rosemarythyme]

Smaller spaces make integration much more difficult.
Would be good to put up separate roost for the youngers,
and block the nests from an hour before roost time until after dark.
Would be good to have multiple separate feed and water stations.

x2.

I don't really worry about coop integration until the chicks are integrated in the run, and you're not at that point yet. Yes to more clutter, and yes to having multiple food stations. I have 5 different food spots first thing in the morning for 10 birds, since that's when they're most hungry and more likely to fight over food.

Roosts in the coop appear too close together so the younger birds cannot safely use them without the older ones harassing them. So might want to fix that (14-16" apart minimum) or add another roost elsewhere.

 

[Estrella77]

Well their mini-run within the larger run is open so they are in and out all day, but tend to hang out in there a lot. So should I remove it after adding more food and water? I have two of each but thanks for the tip, I'll add more esp for food! And a separate roost.

Thank you!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Well their mini-run within the larger run is open so they are in and out all day, but tend to hang out in there a lot. So should I remove it after adding more food and water? I have two of each but thanks for the tip, I'll add more esp for food! And a separate roost.

Thank you!!

If they're using it as their safe spot I wouldn't remove it just yet, unless you're replacing it with more clutter to provide hiding spaces in lieu of their mini-run. Give them options, and they'll learn to use them.

Also make sure with additional food and water, that they're spaced out, ideally so that a bird at any one location cannot see all the others.