Introducing 8 week old chicks and 12 week old chicks to three large hens

Pborhav

Hatching
Sep 26, 2020
3
2
3
I have three hens(1 cochin(xl) 2 barred rocks), 2 chicks(1 barred rock/cochin, 1 cochin) that are in a seperate brooder from the coup, next to them in yard that will be 12 weeks when I have to move 10 (8weeks) other chicks(bantams crossed with black face and welsummers..etc) smaller birds outside. I was wondering do you think it would be easier and better to slowly introduce the 2-12 week olds to the 3 hens or the 10-8 weeks olds to the 2-12 week olds?
 
I kept thinking that it would be easier to introduce chicks to chicks but then that is 10 against 2 and I know there will be a couple of roos in the 10. But then I thought if I introduced the 2 older chicks to 3 larger hens it could be devastaing or maybe not or easier when I introduce the 10 to the 5 of them.
 
What I did was bought a huge kennel (48 x 30-something) and made a chicken townhuose with a smaller kennel I already had. This is a chick to chick integration. When they started interacting though the grate I started mixing the the bigger chicks into the smaller chick section. It went well. Be patient and watch them. Especially is the sizes are vastly different. I found the more space available the easier. Also having places for them to separate and roost seemed to help the transition.

Later on you do the same thing with the chick and the big girls. Patience. It takes a bit of time. Some pecking will occur. its the way they establish dominance. If you have a rooster in the batch you'll see some interesting interactions.

Good luck with you little ones.
 
I was wondering do you think it would be easier and better to slowly introduce the 2-12 week olds to the 3 hens or the 10-8 weeks olds to the 2-12 week olds?
Man, that's a hard one.
First thought would be get all the chicks together.
Would have been best to integrate the chicks when they were much younger(if you got them all as day olds). Then have them live 24/7 next to, but separated by wire, to the 3 hens.

Knowing what kind of set up you have, dimensions and pics of coops and runs, might enable us to make more specific suggestions.

Here's some tips about.....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better.
Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/




If make sure you are polite and give proper introductions
This makes little sense.<scratcheshead>
 

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