Introducing chicks to chickens. I am just overreacting, right?

[Silkiesaz]

Hi all, I should know this by now but I am known for stressing over pointless things. I am trying to introduce 5, 6-7 week old chicks into my big chicken coop. There is normally 12 chickens in the coop, 11 hens and 1 rooster but right now its just 4 hens. The rooster and other hens will back by Sunday. The hens are pecking the chicks even when the chicks are being really nice. Is that normal? And will my Rooster hurt them because he is so big and they are so tiny?

 

[SandyRiverChick]

This is what I was trying to describe. As super little's they live in their own coop and run, attached to the big coop and run. Next step when they're about 7 weeks is this one. Temp fencing in big run where only little's can fit under the fence board/wire where the blue arrow is..... Works great for me time after time.

 

[nuthatched]

How are you introducing them? Did you put them on either side of a see through fence for a few weeks?

 

[SandyRiverChick]

So a fence with just a little room under it? Something where the chicks have free access to the whole run but also an area to escape the bigger chickens?

Yes exactly! I don't think the big's are just going to be nice the longer you wait. I think as long as you provide the escape place and put some referee time in, it just takes a long time. But not forever because thankfully the little's get bigger and bigger and then one day when they're all the same size and all laying, it's as peaceful as it's ever going to be. My last batch of little's has been laying for a few weeks and co-existing with the big's for quite a while longer than that. The big's are still mean and the "not so little's anymore" scream and run but as long as no one is really causing bodily damage, my work is definitely done.

 

[Silkiesaz]

How are you introducing them? Did you put them on either side of a see through fence for a few weeks?

They have been around each other from the day the chicks hatched. Just not touching.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

You are not over reacting! This is a very big deal and the young chicks could be very seriously harmed by the big's. If you search on "Integration," you should find a lot of very informative threads on this subject with different ideas on how to make Integration a success. It sounds like you have just put the little's in with the big's with no separation? It's a very good idea to keep them separated at first. Whether you can split a section in your run/coop with wire or put the little's in a big wire cage where they can be seen but not pecked, whatever you can do, the big's need to get used to idea of them before they have actual access to them. Glad you were smart enough to consider this. Again, you're not over reacting, you're doing the right thing to go slow and be concerned.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

There is nothing wrong with being creative and using what you have on hand. I just saw your comment that you have already done a "no touch" situation. What is your setup? Do you have pics? Do they free-range? The more room they have especially if the big's free-range the easier this transition can be. Try to create ways for the little's to get away from the big's to hide, where only the little's can fit. I split my run down the middle with temp fencing that I made from wire and old fence boards. I bend the wire at the very bottom up just enough for little's to scoot under it but big's can't fit. They live that way for weeks and then slowly I remove fence panels. Eventually the little's are close enough in size that I don't have to worry so much.

 

[Silkiesaz]

where only little's can fit under the fence board/wire where the blue arrow is..... Works great for me time after time.
View attachment 3211575

So a fence with just a little room under it? Something where the chicks have free access to the whole run but also an area to escape the bigger chickens?

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I have leghorn, jersey giants and silkies. I have a few each of white, brown and silver leghorns and to me each color has a separate characteristic. (My silkies are kept totally separate since their pretty much defenceless and would be predator candy so they don't get to free range.) My silver leghorns seem to be more nitpicking about roosting with strangers than the white or brown.
I've played chicken jenga so I feel for you and my kids think I'm a little crazy getting so involved with the pecking order! LOL! After seeing the aftermath of a flock of chickens turning on one of their own I do my best at keeping the peace.

100%. agree with you. My very first flock many years ago was a stone cold pack of mean girls and after one passed away thanks to dog at the time, and they had to re-establish pecking order, 2 of them took turns pecking the new low girl one from either side while roosting and I found the poor thing with a broken neck in the morning. Not having that again! I'm the peace keeper....

 

[rosemarythyme]

So a fence with just a little room under it? Something where the chicks have free access to the whole run but also an area to escape the bigger chickens?

That can work, however your chicks are getting close to being too old/big for that (I find that around 8 weeks is the cut off before the gap size is too big to exclude adults), so adding more clutter in general would also be advisable.

A cluttered run thread (my run clutter is here): https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/page-6#post-25037140