Integration of pullets to layers has begun! Advise please!

[Linnre]

Last night I put both sets of chickens (3 9 week pullets with 3 grown laying hens) in the run and closed the doors. It’s their first time being together with no escape. I felt I was cruel to do this but I also read it has to happen. No one was set out to kill the little ones, I don’t think. There was no blood. But there was traumatizing and chasing and probably some pecking. We go on a trip in 3 weeks. I kept them together maybe 30 min while watching. A couple of times the littles escaped to the coop upstairs and the bigs did not follow. The last time (meaning they all came down from the coop again) all but one escaped to the coop and she could not figure how to get up there. In the end she was standing in a corner, facing the corner and would not move. We then separated and put the littles in their small coop for the night.

Did I do the right thing? The wrong thing? It was a pleasant night and I put them together around 7:15 and sat and watched. It was hard for me to watch. IF I did the right thing, should I keep doing the same each day for a short period of time? Should I not?

These chickens have been able to see each other for 5 weeks, in separate coops and also in playpens with the older ones coming near. They’ve been in the yard together at times for about a week now, always supervised. They already know each other. But not in this close quarters.

I feel trying to prepare these chicks to be together and in time for my upcoming trip has become a full time job!

I did have places for them to hide but not completely away. Today I plan to put a dog crate with no floor in the coop and tilt it up some so they can go under and have a safer place to escape.

I just need some reassurance (if appropriate) or to be told if I need to change the approach. I love these new babies and don’t want to do it wrong.

To see my coop I pasted pics here. I realize now that it is narrow but I have to make do with what I have. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/integrating-chicks-before-12-weeks.1538361/

 

[azygous]

Quick story. When I was a young mother, back when the earth was warming after the last ice age, I decided it would be advantageous to get my three toddlers swimming lessons. The two older ones, ages three and four, took to the water like little motor boats, but the two-year old was another story.

The instructor decided the most efficient way to encourage the boy's interest in swimming was to toss him into the deep end, where he promptly sank to the bottom and appeared content to lie there until the instructor, who only had one leg, dove down to retrieve him.

The toss-them-in-and-hope-for-the-best method may seem like an acceptable shortcut in many learning situations, but an incremental approach, I've decided, often works better. You are definitely on to this latter approach with the dog crate safe refuge idea. Go for it.

By the way, the two-year old never did respond to the swimming lessons. He taught himself to swim later on when he was around six if memory serves me. Which lately, it often does not.

 

[Linnre]

Quick story. When I was a young mother, back when the earth was warming after the last ice age, I decided it would be advantageous to get my three toddlers swimming lessons. The two older ones, ages three and four, took to the water like little motor boats, but the two-year old was another story.

The instructor decided the most efficient way to encourage the boy's interest in swimming was to toss him into the deep end, where he promptly sank to the bottom and appeared content to lie there until the instructor, who only had one leg, dove down to retrieve him.

The toss-them-in-and-hope-for-the-best method may seem like an acceptable shortcut in many learning situations, but an incremental approach, I've decided, often works better. You are definitely on to this latter approach with the dog crate safe refuge idea. Go for it.

By the way, the two-year old never did respond to the swimming lessons. He taught himself to swim later on when he was around six if memory serves me. Which lately, it often does not.

Thanks so much for your response and affirmation that I’m on the right track. I did something a little different. I moved the small hutch into the run instead of a dog crate. They can still escape there and even up to the coop inside where they normally sleep. When we aren’t home we will put them in the coop and so they will be protected but around the big girls 24/7. I hope this is a good next step. And I hope I can get this all figured out in the next 2 1/2 weeks!

I sure wish we’d made the run a little wider, but alas, we did not - we didn’t know!

 

[azygous]

Maybe after your trip, you can look at ways to enlarge it. Wings coming off the main run or something. Chickens love complexity in their environment.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Quick story. When I was a young mother, back when the earth was warming after the last ice age, I decided it would be advantageous to get my three toddlers swimming lessons. The two older ones, ages three and four, took to the water like little motor boats, but the two-year old was another story.

The instructor decided the most efficient way to encourage the boy's interest in swimming was to toss him into the deep end, where he promptly sank to the bottom and appeared content to lie there until the instructor, who only had one leg, dove down to retrieve him.

The toss-them-in-and-hope-for-the-best method may seem like an acceptable shortcut in many learning situations, but an incremental approach, I've decided, often works better. You are definitely on to this latter approach with the dog crate safe refuge idea. Go for it.

By the way, the two-year old never did respond to the swimming lessons. He taught himself to swim later on when he was around six if memory serves me. Which lately, it often does not.

GREAT story! And I too haven't been a young mother since antiquity or maybe prohibition...

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I just need some reassurance (if appropriate) or to be told if I need to change the approach.

I feel like you're doing everything right. Everyone does this a bit differently but I think most people follow your same slowish approach. My neighbor just tosses them in and wishes them the best.... But ah, he goes through flocks like water. I'm with you.... All of that said, it's good to remember that the more room they have, especially if you can allow some free-ranging, it is VERY helpful.

 

[Linnre]

I feel like you're doing everything right. Everyone does this a bit differently but I think most people follow your same slowish approach. My neighbor just tosses them in and wishes them the best.... But ah, he goes through flocks like water. I'm with you.... All of that said, it's good to remember that the more room they have, especially if you can allow some free-ranging, it is VERY helpful.

Thank you so much for the encouragement! The big girls free range most of the day almost every day. We have one acre. My husband is retired and we are raising our 7 year old grandson. When the little ones are older they will free range more as well. Unless one day a hawk gets one and then we will reassess. But for now the littles are too little to be out without supervision so they spend more time in their playpen. My husband is making a larger playpen that eventually all the girls can share. I’ll attach a photo.

So … our coop run is what it is. It is new - just had it built in May. So we won’t be making changes any time soon.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Oh excellent, you're in great shape. Except for coming back to lay, the big's will not have as much interest in bullying and fighting for space with the little's as they would confined.

 

[Linnre]

Oh excellent, you're in great shape. Except for coming back to lay, the big's will not have as much interest in bullying and fighting for space with the little's as they would confined.

Thank you! This is so good to hear! We are trying hard and my husband has been so good to keep up with my ideas! Working on the playpen now, with an audience!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Thank you! This is so good to hear! We are trying hard and my husband has been so good to keep up with my ideas! Working on the playpen now, with an audience! View attachment 3193701

Love it!!