Interesting Chick Behavior

[3KillerBs]

I've noticed something interesting with multiple batches of chicks in a row.

After they've been moved to the coop and integrated they quickly start roaming around the entire coop (16x16, Open Air coop with the integration pen inside it), but they don't go outside into the run for weeks after they've been loose in the coop.

I suppose it's natural for children of any kind to stick close to home but I find it interesting that they don't follow the adults outside.

I'm guessing that would be different with a broody and could be different in a much smaller coop. What do your chicks do?

 

[DobieLover]

I'm guessing that would be different with a broody and could be different in a much smaller coop. What do your chicks do?

They follow their mother but she also keeps them close to cover. Unless the roosters or other hens are close by, she doesn't venture out too far into open areas or far from the covered run.
It's instinct. Cover/structure = safety.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

After

I've noticed something interesting with multiple batches of chicks in a row.

After they've been moved to the coop and integrated they quickly start roaming around the entire coop (16x16, Open Air coop with the integration pen inside it), but they don't go outside into the run for weeks after they've been loose in the coop.

I suppose it's natural for children of any kind to stick close to home but I find it interesting that they don't follow the adults outside.

I'm guessing that would be different with a broody and could be different in a much smaller coop. What do your chicks

When the 6 chicks turned 6wks they moved into the run. (20x8). In the evening on the first night i had to manually put them in the coop, (its almost 3 ft off the ground), and the rest is history! Now ask how long it took them to finally roost!? I thought they would be in a cuddle puddle forever, lol.

 

[3KillerBs]

They follow their mother but she also keeps them close to cover. Unless the roosters or other hens are close by, she doesn't venture out too far into open areas or far from the covered run.
It's instinct. Cover/structure = safety.

I'm glad you responded. I value your experience.

I'm just as happy that they aren't going out since the poultry netting won't contain them at this age, but I do find it interesting that they don't follow the adults.

 

[DobieLover]

but I do find it interesting that they don't follow the adults.

Even with a broody raised batch of chicks they won't follow the adults once weaned. They always form a sub flock that does not fully integrate until all of the girls start laying.

 

[Tre3hugger]

My newly integrated chicks (6 weeks old) spent about 2 weeks on the opposite side of the run as the adults, and had to be put in the coop with them each night for 4 nights. The older ones were not very nice at first and there was a very obvious divide. During this time I added a feeder and waterer on the "littles side" (not physically separated, just far away) and just let them do their thing and figure it out. They stayed far apart.
Now almost a month later they are pretty much mingling, and the older ones have stopped pecking on the younger ones for the most part. I think your littles will start mingling soon. The big birds are probably just as scary to them as the great outdoors rn!

 

[Ridgerunner]

My broody-raised chicks do whatever Mama tells them to. That's usually outside all day every day with her from maybe 3 days after she brings them off of the nest until she weans them. After she weans them they go outside all day every day but form a sub-flock and avoid the adults. I'll mention this. I have over 3,000 square feet outside, they can stay outside and still avoid the adults. If facilities are tight, staying in the coop may be how they avoid the adults. Once they are weaned they don't follow the adults, they avoid them.

I raise my brooder-raised chicks in a 3' x 6' brooder in the coop, usually in broods of around 20. It's elevated about 2 feet. When they hit 5 weeks of age I open the brooder door early in the morning when the adults are already outside. Sometimes every chick is on the coop floor within 15 minutes, sometimes it can take most of the day. They all make it to the coop floor that first day. They usually don't make it outside that first day though. Some groups might wait three days before they venture out of the pop door, but many go out the next day. Once they go out, they always go out. Brooder to coop floor, not a problem. They are probably familiar with that. Covered and enclosed coop to the open skies, more hesitant.

I have a 4' x 8' grow-out coop elevated a couple of feet. If the main coop is getting crowded I put the chicks in that and usually leave them locked in the coop section only for a week before I open the pop door to the run. They cannot see the run when locked in the coop section. They are usually about 6 weeks old. Sometimes every chick is on the ground within 15 minutes of me opening that pop door. Sometimes it's a day or even two days later before every chick is on the ground. Each brood is so different. Once they are on the ground they go out every day all day to stay in the run. No adults in there.

Once I'm confident they will sleep in the grow-out coop I open the doors between their small run and the main run/grazing area. Those chicks are always out in the main run/grazing area that first day, probably because some adults come in their run to check things out.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Interesting... and maybe it's because my chicks are raised in the run vs. the coop, but they take to being loose in the run without much issue at around 2 weeks old, and on their own make it inside the coop (to explore) in fairly short time.

They don't actually spend overnights in the coop until I force the issue at 4-5 weeks. At that time I both lock them out of the brooder entirely and cage them in the coop at night as well, and those combined get them to move into the coop at nights after a few days.

Since you have a coop-run combo, I suppose the better equivalent for me would be getting the chicks to leave the run for supervised free range time. That does take a few extra weeks. They see the hens leave each afternoon but even though I leave the gate open, they opt to not follow until one day, one or two brave chicks decide to venture forth. At first they'll stay very close to the entrance, wandering maybe a few feet away at first, but as the days and weeks pass they'll gradually move further away until they're pretty much trailing and orbiting the hens.