Integration Roadblock and Questions

[BonnieBlue]

I set up a brooder coop as an inbetween the brooder and big girl coop. It is in the corner of the big girl run, and has its own small run with it. My intention was to move chicks from the brooder to the brooder coop so everyone can get to know each other with a fence between them before letting the littles mingle with the bigs, and then share their coop.

I moved them out at 5 weeks of age (I was planning on 4, but a cold snap was going to hit, and I wasn't sure I could keep them warm enough, so left them in my garge brooder for an extra week). At age 6 weeks I let them into their run so they could start to get to know their big sisters.

Except the two big sisters have thrown a monkey wrench into the plans. On top of being coop queens, I think they are afraid of the six littles. The first part of my problem is that since moving into this new coop that I built when I moved, they stay in their coop at least 80% of the time. They get a fresh breeze, and it is larger than their old run, so they lay in the sand under the poop boards all day like entitled royalty. They go out into the run now and then, but generally hang around the coop. I have seen them walk about half way to the little run a couple of times, then look at it all like "we've seen enough" and they go back.

The other part is I think they have no idea what the littles are, and are scared of them. A couple of days ago, while I was cleaning the coop, I looked out and they were at the fence of the little girls run looking at them, when all of a sudden, they hiked up their pantaloons and RAN as fast as they could back to their own coop. I think one of the littles cheeped at them.

I don't have clutter in the big run for the littles yet, but will be putting stuff in there this week for them to hide in and around in case they two bigs try to attack them. My big concern is if the littles wander into the coop which the big girls clearly think is their castle and I am afraid will be very territorial about it.

Given that the bigs are not cooperating in getting to know their little sisters, what are thoughts and suggestions for how to proceed with integration? The littles are 7.5 weeks old, and I was hoping to get everyone integrated in the next couple of weeks, but now I wonder if I need to rethink my timeline and how?

@BigBlueHen53 , your article was my inspiration for integration. Do you have any suggestions?

 

[Mrs. K]

After you have added the clutter, and the run looks different. Put the older birds in the brooder coup and the chicks in the run and big girl coop. This will allow the chicks to explore without being chased for their lives. It allows the chicks to develop some territorial rights and the big girls to see the chicks out there and the sky does not fall. I would do this for 2-3 days.

Then if you are still worried, I would let one hen out with them and see how it goes. I would let them out pretty close to dark, so that they urge to roost is about the same as the urge to fight. I would do this, on a week end where one could check on them several times a day. Generally speaking, if there is a place where chicks can get away, they do, they are as fast as lightening.

I only see numbers on the big girls - 2 big girls - how many chicks? And pictures of your set up would give us the ability to give better advice. One always gives advice from their own coop and run (mine is 20 ft x 30 ft) unless you see differently. Numbers and space are the most important things to consider when integrating chickens.

What you really want is for them to ignore each other. They will be two separate flocks until the chicks begin to lay eggs. It is so funny, the two groups are quite obvious, and then, one day, it is gone and they are one flock.

Mrs K

 

[BonnieBlue]

After you have added the clutter, and the run looks different. Put the older birds in the brooder coup and the chicks in the run and big girl coop. This will allow the chicks to explore without being chased for their lives. It allows the chicks to develop some territorial rights and the big girls to see the chicks out there and the sky does not fall. I would do this for 2-3 days.

Then if you are still worried, I would let one hen out with them and see how it goes. I would let them out pretty close to dark, so that they urge to roost is about the same as the urge to fight. I would do this, on a week end where one could check on them several times a day. Generally speaking, if there is a place where chicks can get away, they do, they are as fast as lightening.

I only see numbers on the big girls - 2 big girls - how many chicks? And pictures of your set up would give us the ability to give better advice. One always gives advice from their own coop and run (mine is 20 ft x 30 ft) unless you see differently. Numbers and space are the most important things to consider when integrating chickens.

What you really want is for them to ignore each other. They will be two separate flocks until the chicks begin to lay eggs. It is so funny, the two groups are quite obvious, and then, one day, it is gone and they are one flock.

Mrs K

I have 6 littles. The run is 16x60. I'll add the clutter and take pics. Thank you for info.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

@Mrs. K's advice is excellent. Thank you for referencing my article. Good luck with your integration and please keep us posted! Incidentally, what breed(s) are your two scaredy-cat hens?

 

[BonnieBlue]

@Mrs. K's advice is excellent. Thank you for referencing my article. Good luck with your integration and please keep us posted! Incidentally, what breed(s) are your two scaredy-cat hens?

My two scaredy-cats are Easter Eggers. They were only around their flock mates. Two that had to be rehomed, and then the other I kept died from an impacted crop. It's been just the two little spoiled princesses for over a year.

 

[Mrs. K]

Chickens hate change, but they do get over it. Do know that nothing is meaner than something scarred.

 

[BonnieBlue]

Chickens hate change, but they do get over it. Do know that nothing is meaner than something scarred.

That is why I know that I can't proceed strictly as planned.

Things are going to take longer and I will have to take additional steps.

Thank you for the advice.

 

[BonnieBlue]

I had a setback with an illness and finding out the hard way there is an antibiotic I am allergic too. Now that I am recovering, I am doing my best to get back to chicken integration this week.

Today, I started adding clutter to the run. The run is 16x60. The pic is standing at the ramp to the pop door, looking towards the brooder coop and run in the far end of the coop. I have two boxes with "doors" cut on either side so a chick can go in and out the other side. If a big girl gets in one side, she is at least going to be slowed down trying to get out the other, or will just not even try. The step ladder, which used to be the big girls favorite run roost in their previous run, they won't even look at now. (Coop queens have a selective attitude, I guess.) I added small branches around it that the little girls can get through, and if a big girl gets through, again, will be slowed down. They can probably get knocked over fairly easily, but I would rather that than anyone getting hung up. The stock tank is at a bit of an angle against the wall. Littles can get behind it, but I feel 90% sure the big girls can't squeeze their chunky butts behind it. I am going to use a block so that the gate to the small run can open enough for a little, but not be pushed open by a big trying to get through. Do I have enough? Is what I have acceptable? I have worked out how to do a "coop switch" each morning and evening for a couple of days, and I have my great-grandfather's lawn chair in the run so I can just sit with them off and on to see how it's going. If the coop switchs goes smoothly, I will let them switch back to their own coops just before dark. Just let the bigs out of the little girl's run and hope they just want to stomp off to their coop, and the littles go into their own. If that works, I will increase times they get to be together, and hope the bigs will then accept the littles into their coop after some mix and mingle time.

If there is a flaw in the plan, or I need to do more to the run, please let me know. I'd rather not be picking up pullet parts.

Edit: I found the thread on clutter and got some great ideas. I will be adding more tomorrow. The couple of tree branches and ladder I had in there from the beginning, the bigs don't even look at. Maybe if I add a lot more that is permanent they will find something they like and it will help with integration.

 

[Mrs. K]

More is better. A pallet up on blocks or even up on rocks, chicks can scoot under it, bigs are slowed, I often feed there for chicks.

Do have multiple feed bowls out sight of birds eating some where else.

Good luck, hope you feel better!

 

[BonnieBlue]

More is better. A pallet up on blocks or even up on rocks, chicks can scoot under it, bigs are slowed, I often feed there for chicks.

Do have multiple feed bowls out sight of birds eating some where else.

Good luck, hope you feel better!

Thanks! I looked at a lot of pics and I saw one with a pallet on cinders. I have cinders I moved that I didn't know what to do with that are outside the coop, and my partner has a pallet he had not broken down to toss yet. That I have both on hand means they were here going "pick me, pick me". I have a 2"x12"x4' board in can put on cinders also. I'll look around because I wasn't picturing "clutter". Now I understand more what I need to be doing.