Introducing chicks to the adult birds safely

[Gypsi]

With no mama to protect them, I have hatched 2 batches of eggs in incubators. My DIY incubator is permanently retired, but I right now have 8 from the Nurture 360 in a great dane crate in the center of my run. I let them out with the adult birds for a few minutes yesterday, rooster was fine but one of the hens looked pecky so I put them up. My hens don't lay anymore, at least so far this year. I let the chicks loose in the evening when adult birds are locked up, and they don't go to roost if I am in the yard, they are at the fence of the run looking at me. I'm not a good chicken mama, how do I keep my hens from killing the chicks? The great dane crate is going to be outgrown soon, with 8 in there. 4 more in the house will need it in a week or 2, they are in a rabbit cage inside

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Here are a couple of articles on integrating that might help you.

Integrating, with pictures:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-a-pictorial-guide.79343/


This is another excellent article on integrating:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-chickens-step-by-step.72815/

 

[BigBlueHen53]

That's a beautiful rooster, by the way. What kind is he?

 

[rosemarythyme]

How long have you had the chicks in see but no touch before you let them out with the adults? You'd want to do that for 1-2 weeks first, ideally so they lose most of their interest in the chicks, before you start letting the chicks out to mingle.

 

[Gypsi]

That's a beautiful rooster, by the way. What kind is he?

He is a mutt rooster. Buckeye, Americauna and Barred rock at least. I hatched him with eggs from a friend with a diverse flock. Sweet temperament, my 5 year old granddaughter held him for a photo, he was hatched in 2016 so almost 9 years old

 

[Gypsi]

How long have you had the chicks in see but no touch before you let them out with the adults? You'd want to do that for 1-2 weeks first, ideally so they lose most of their interest in the chicks, before you start letting the chicks out to mingle.

My chicks are kind of big. Still sleeping in dog crate, but i turned the rabbit fencing so 4 inch openings at bottom, they explored coop and run yesterday, the fence keeps the adults out of the start n grow.

 

[Gypsi]

We have a cold front coming, I am going to have to put the chicks in the coop tonight because I am not comfortable with heat lamp and even less comfortable with electricity and rain. all of the adults sleep on left side, shouldn't be hard

 

[Gypsi]

Went out an hour ago and the chicks have found the right hand side of the coop, figured out it was warmer in there. I do need to keep the adults out of their food so moving fence shortly.

 

[Gypsi]

Moved the big chicks up into the coop - actually they moved themselves to the right side of the coop this afternoon and tried out a nest box I had made for them, and a couple tried the perches. Now they have food in there, and I ran the rabbit fence between left and right side to keep the adults out of the start n grow. Closed door to the dog crate mainly to keep rats out since there is spilled food in there, and closed big coop also to keep the rats out. I put their favorite style water dish in but on the big bird side, they can hop thru the fence for a drink. My hens and rooster aren't really bothering them. I have spoiled chickens, that probably helps. No one is hungry.

 

[Gypsi]

Getting a drink in the big run