Integration question - two chicks, two adults

[littlecoopnextdoor]

Hello!
I will be raising two chicks (hatching in May) to join my current two pullets that will be a year old in June. When I raised my current ladies as chicks last year, after a few weeks in the house I moved them out to the coop as sort of a larger brooder (with a huddle box) and then let them have supervised run time and then after a week of that, they got the hang of things on their own. With the new babies - I won't be able to have them in the coop, since the older girls will be sleeping in there, but I have room in the run to divide a section where they can be seen and not touched. My question is - do I keep bringing them indoors at night until they are integrated or...? I worry that If they get used to sleeping in the run in their sectioned off area they may not understand to go up into the coop at night. Anyone have experience like this? For context - I will be sectioning off the run underneath the coop for the new babies for see/no touch.

 

[fluffycrow]

No you don't have to bring them in at night. Once they are well integrated, you can close the pullets in the coop to teach them where they should sleep

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

No you don't have to bring them in at night. Once they are well integrated, you can close the pullets in the coop to teach them where they should sleep

Thank you. But close them into the coop with the other girls then once they've had a week of daytime see/no touch in the run?

 

[fluffycrow]

No. Close them in the coop when they have completely integrated with the other girls ie the girls are totally peaceful spending all their times together

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

No. Close them in the coop when they have completely integrated with the other girls ie the girls are totally peaceful spending all their times together

right, but this is where I'm hitting the issue. I don't want them sleeping in the section of run overnight so I'll have to bring them inside since there is no other coop than the main coop during this time. then, once they're all okay the coop becomes shared with all of them

 

[fluffycrow]

right, but this is where I'm hitting the issue. I don't want them sleeping in the section of run overnight so I'll have to bring them inside since there is no other coop than the main coop during this time. then, once they're all okay the coop becomes shared with all of them

Why don't you want them sleeping in the run though, as long as it's secure, they would have no problem

 

[rosemarythyme]

do I keep bringing them indoors at night until they are integrated or...? I worry that If they get used to sleeping in the run in their sectioned off area they may not understand to go up into the coop at night.

Is the run predator proof enough that you'd feel safe leaving them in the run overnight? If yes, just let them sleep in their area inside the run.

To "break" them out of that later on, when they're about as integrated with the adults in the run area as they can be and you're ready for them to move into the coop, leave the sectioned off area closed so the younger birds have no option of going into it. You will probably need to manually place them inside the coop for a few nights until they realize that that's where they need to be.

For safety, I prop open the pop door with a brick just so there's enough space for chicks to slip out in case the adults give them a hard time in the morning, and I do that for a few days, but that depends again on how secure you feel the run is.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

Is the run predator proof enough that you'd feel safe leaving them in the run overnight? If yes, just let them sleep in their area inside the run.

To "break" them out of that later on, when they're about as integrated with the adults in the run area as they can be and you're ready for them to move into the coop, leave the sectioned off area closed so the younger birds have no option of going into it. You will probably need to manually place them inside the coop for a few nights until they realize that that's where they need to be.

For safety, I prop open the pop door with a brick just so there's enough space for chicks to slip out in case the adults give them a hard time in the morning, and I do that for a few days, but that depends again on how secure you feel the run is.

This sounds like a great plan. I can't prop open the door though as it's an automatic omelet door. I could perhaps leave it open for a night or two. My run and coop are pretty predator proof but we do have raccoons that climb all over trying to find a way in. I might be extra nervous with tasty little babies just behind wire (not wood) so I will see how I can reinforce or block off visuals

 

[Mrs. K]

If you put a box or any container, my chicks jus 2-3 week old, get into it to go to sleep all by themselves. Then I just pick up the container, set it in the coop. I use a small dog crate. Line it with hay like a nest. In the first few days, I lock it. Carry them out the next morning - rinse repeat.

After a week or so, I carry it into the coop, and leave the gate open. Every single time, when I went down at dark, they had found their way into the coop and into their crate. I leave it there, till they quit using it.

Mrs K

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

If you put a box or any container, my chicks jus 2-3 week old, get into it to go to sleep all by themselves. Then I just pick up the container, set it in the coop. I use a small dog crate. Line it with hay like a nest. In the first few days, I lock it. Carry them out the next morning - rinse repeat.

After a week or so, I carry it into the coop, and leave the gate open. Every single time, when I went down at dark, they had found their way into the coop and into their crate. I leave it there, till they quit using it.

Mrs K

ah interesting! so you put the whole thing into the coop (locked) for the first two week so they're all sleeping in the same area?

Why don't you want them sleeping in the run though, as long as it's secure, they would have no problem

They could see in the run I just worry about very determined raccoons seeing babies and if it's windy, since it's just hardware cloth where they are, no windbreaks. I'll give some thought, and I might add temporary 'walls' to the area so that it's more coop like and less run like while they are in there. Still have a few months to plan thankfully