Intergrating question

[hunnyjoconnor]

My chicks are now 5 weeks old. They have been outside in their brooder for the past 2 weeks. My older birds have been out running the yard around them since they went outside. I've read its better to intergate them while they are small because they are seen as less of a threat. I have one bully hen so I have been weary of the next step. So my question is. Is it better to now let the chicks run the yard with the older hens in their coop still or should I just let them all out to together and just watch how things go?

Pic of Dale just cuz.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Photos of your set up?

When you say "run the yard" is there a secure run or are you free ranging?

 

[hunnyjoconnor]

Photos of your set up?

When you say "run the yard" is there a secure run or are you free ranging?

They get free run of the backyard when they aren't in there run, which is pretty much all day everyday. The chicks brooder is out in the yard where the older birds have access to run around it. They can lookie but no touchy.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I assume the yard is securely fenced so chicks can't get out? That'd be my main concern.

If you have a secure run you could also try giving the chicks the run while the adults are locked out, and do that for a few days, so the chicks will start treating the run as somewhere safe to go. And then after that start letting them meet face to face with supervision.

 

[hunnyjoconnor]

Yes the yard is secure. Lots of places for them to hide from me for sure but no where for them to get out. I like the idea of putting them in the older coop while the others are out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Since it has been two weeks I'd open the door on the brooder and see what happens. Do it sometimes when you can check on them instead of when you away, like for work. I've had chicks not come out of the brooder until the third day after I open that door, I've had all 20 chicks outside within 15 minutes. Each group is different. I generally do this at 5 weeks of age.

I don't know how your older hens will react. Usually mine ignore the chicks unless they invade the older girls' personal space. If they do that they may get pecked and chased. Usually the younger ones quickly learn to avoid the older. I've never had a chick get injured doing this but you can read some stories on here where people have. It is a good idea to occasionally check on them.

I'm very happy for the chicks to spend the nights in their brooder at first. Once they prove they can get along with the adults without being chased I move them into the main coop, usually at around 12 weeks old. My 8' x 12' coop is big enough that the chicks can stay away from the adults. The chicks do not sleep on the main roosts with the adults but stay in a separate area. I do this so often I put in a juvenile roost, lower than the adult roost, higher than the nests, and separated horizontally from the adult roost buy about 3 feet. Once the chicks are ready to roost they move onto that juvenile roost on their own. Until then they sleep on the coop floor in a far corner. When they are ready they move themselves to the main roosts with the adults. That's typically when the pullets start to lay.