Introducing chicks??

[Ragna]

I just got some new chicks and I was going to see how my girls reacted to them so I stayed there to protect the babies... Sure enough my hens seemed so betrayed... They started crying and they walked over to attack the babies... I had slapped one of my hens to keep her back and my hens were backing up for me... But the babies are just terrified of everyone. Is there anyway to introduce the babies to my bigger babies?

 

[azygous]

Young chickens, a year or younger, are usually much harder on baby chicks than older chickens. You do need to protect baby chicks from them.

Many of us use the panic room method of integration. We provide a safe chick pen in the run with sides that have small mesh so a baby can't stick its head through and get scalped by an older curious chicken.

I and many others now brood our chicks right outdoors in our protected secure runs so the chicks are in direct proximity to the adult flock. They have their heat source and their own food and water.

When the chicks are a couple weeks old, having gotten used to being around the older chickens for at least one week, we open chick-size openings (more than just one) so the chicks can go in and out of their pen but the adult chickens don't fit. A 4 1/2 inch by 7 inch opening is usually adequate to keep out big chickens, so the small fry have a safe refuge from harm. They usually fit through these openings until they reach about ten weeks. By that time they are fully integrated and no longer need the panic room.

 

[RWise]

Ages would be good to know,,,
I hatch inside and brood outside in a brood house, it has its own run with chick wire. My littles go in at 2-3 days old, they can see but not touch or be touched by the big girls. They get regular visits from the flock (my girls luv to see chicks), and there they stay until they are 5 weeks old. At 5 weeks they are fully feathered out and ready to go (off of heat @ 4 weeks and roosting), even in the winter. They are moved to the main coop at night, and watched the next AM.
This is when they meet the "Queen" (my oldest hen) and she lets them know who the boss is, the rooster stands back and watches.
I provide a get away area with 3"x3" fencing around it, food in it, extra water nearby (until they find the main source). There are many hiding places for them as well, perches for them to get up on. Also my rooster will feed them just like he does with his hens.
After a week they are just another bird in the flock. I keep the get away area set up until they (at least the biggest ones) can no longer fit through the openings. By this time they know who they can be around and who to avoid (that big blue bird).

 

[Ragna]

Ages would be good to know,,,
I hatch inside and brood outside in a brood house, it has its own run with chick wire. My littles go in at 2-3 days old, they can see but not touch or be touched by the big girls. They get regular visits from the flock (my girls luv to see chicks), and there they stay until they are 5 weeks old. At 5 weeks they are fully feathered out and ready to go (off of heat @ 4 weeks and roosting), even in the winter. They are moved to the main coop at night, and watched the next AM.
This is when they meet the "Queen" (my oldest hen) and she lets them know who the boss is, the rooster stands back and watches.
I provide a get away area with 3"x3" fencing around it, food in it, extra water nearby (until they find the main source). There are many hiding places for them as well, perches for them to get up on. Also my rooster will feed them just like he does with his hens.
After a week they are just another bird in the flock. I keep the get away area set up until they (at least the biggest ones) can no longer fit through the openings. By this time they know who they can be around and who to avoid (that big blue bird).

They are fully feathered but... Understand I call my hens who are like 19 or 20 weeks babies they are my babies. I'm like an over protective dad..
That was probably a very "unprofessional" picture but the only good one i have since im at work sorry :/ :/ :/

 

[Ridgerunner]

Ah, new information! It helps to know what we are dealing with. Can you tell us something about your facilities, especially size in feet or meters of your coop(s) and run(s)? How are your roosts set up?

Until my pullets start to lay the mature hens outrank them in the pecking order and aren't that shy about enforcing those pecking order rights when the pullets enter their personal space. So the immature pullets are usually quick to learn to stay away from the adults. So they sort of form a sub-flock, avoiding the older as much as possible. it is important they have enough room to avoid them. This is during the day and at night on the roosts.

@aart has a pretty good copy and paste write-up for this situation which talks about what you can do in general. The more we know about your specific situation the more likely we are going to be able to offer specific suggestions.

Good luck!

 

[Mrs. K]

The set ups described above work very well, and allow the chickens to work it out on their terms, not human terms. They can explore and retreat as needed. I used lattice panels, worked very well.

So many runs I see pictures of are just open rectangles. Numerous hide outs, and multiple feed stations out of sight of the main feed station, are good ideas. Cluttering up the run allows chicks and other weaker birds to escape, to get out of sight and get away from other birds. It gives more interest to birds when they can get on top of things or under things, and it actually gives use of the vertical space.

What are the dimensions of your set up, coop and run. What are the number of your older birds, and younger birds?

Good luck

 

[Ragna]

I

The set ups described above work very well, and allow the chickens to work it out on their terms, not human terms. They can explore and retreat as needed. I used lattice panels, worked very well.

So many runs I see pictures of are just open rectangles. Numerous hide outs, and multiple feed stations out of sight of the main feed station, are good ideas. Cluttering up the run allows chicks and other weaker birds to escape, to get out of sight and get away from other birds. It gives more interest to birds when they can get on top of things or under things, and it actually gives use of the vertical space.

What are the dimensions of your set up, coop and run. What are the number of your older birds, and younger birds?

Good luck

I usually let them run around the backyard freely. They spent most time under the deck because there is a big crater there. I had to shut the coop down awhile back because I needed to make a new roof. I trust them for the most part not to try and escape. The fence is kinda high anyway. The vet said to keep my girl inside because she's sick so I usually keep them inside for hottest parts of the day and let them outside afternoon. But the vet felt like the Florida heat would cause too much stress on her since she's sick. I try to keep them as happy as possible. I have two girls and they are around 20 or so weeks and then two little ones

 

[Ragna]

The set ups described above work very well, and allow the chickens to work it out on their terms, not human terms. They can explore and retreat as needed. I used lattice panels, worked very well.

So many runs I see pictures of are just open rectangles. Numerous hide outs, and multiple feed stations out of sight of the main feed station, are good ideas. Cluttering up the run allows chicks and other weaker birds to escape, to get out of sight and get away from other birds. It gives more interest to birds when they can get on top of things or under things, and it actually gives use of the vertical space.

What are the dimensions of your set up, coop and run. What are the number of your older birds, and younger birds?

Good luck

Those girls love me to death though lol I'm kind of like a rooster for them. I spend a lot of time with them

 

[aart]

@aart has a pretty good copy and paste write-up for this situation

This is not a applicable situation, birds are 'house chickens'.