Introducing chicks

[aldanfac]

When do you think I should introduce my chicks? they’ll be 6 weeks in a couple days but I wanted to see how they react to eachother and put them in a small pen outside. They are doing pretty good the hen and rooster are very interested in them and haven’t pecked through at all. The chicks even started eating the food off the roosters beak and he didn’t mind. Here’s photos do you think everything will be good when it’s time in a few days

 

[rosemarythyme]

How long have they been exposed to the adults so far? If this is the first day, I'd give it closer to a week, just so they have plenty of time to get used to seeing each other, and then try letting them mingle with supervision. I don't have experience with roosters but the fact that he's letting them peck at him sounds fine, though I'd prefer that the hens be less interested in the chicks before they meet face to face.

 

[aldanfac]

How long have they been exposed to the adults so far? If this is the first day, I'd give it closer to a week, just so they have plenty of time to get used to seeing each other, and then try letting them mingle with supervision. I don't have experience with roosters but the fact that he's letting them peck at him sounds fine, though I'd prefer that the hens be less interested in the chicks before they meet face to face.

Yea this was their first time face to face only through a small fence, I have them together in big chicken coop but divided from eachother. They seem protective of them but i can’t tell, I am just going to keep putting them in the gate until it’s time? They are 6 weeks this week but do you think i should wait longer?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Divided in the coop how?
Can they see the chicks in the coop?

I find that while every chicken is an individual a few things help.
The adults seeing the chicks while they are very small gets them used to them being there.
Introducing while the chicks still sound like chicks helps.
Lots of places the chicks can dart behind, around and away from the adults helps.
I also prefer the adults to be disinterested in them.
Multiple feed and water stations is pretty important as is having lots of extra space.

 

[aldanfac]

Divided in the coop how?
Can they see the chicks in the coop?

I find that while every chicken is an individual a few things help.
The adults seeing the chicks while they are very small gets them used to them being there.
Introducing while the chicks still sound like chicks helps.
Lots of places the chicks can dart behind, around and away from the adults helps.
I also prefer the adults to be disinterested in them.
Multiple feed and water stations is pretty important as is having lots of extra space.

I have strong cloth hanging down from the top that they can sort of see through but not quite with wood at the bottom holding it down and adding as a little barrier but only about 6 inches tall just so that the grown chicks can see over at the other chicks through the cloth

 

[aldanfac]

Divided in the coop how?
Can they see the chicks in the coop?

I find that while every chicken is an individual a few things help.
The adults seeing the chicks while they are very small gets them used to them being there.
Introducing while the chicks still sound like chicks helps.
Lots of places the chicks can dart behind, around and away from the adults helps.
I also prefer the adults to be disinterested in them.
Multiple feed and water stations is pretty important as is having lots of extra space.

There is also their own feed and waters in there, do you think I should remove the barrier sometime this week and put the small fence in?

 

[aldanfac]

Divided in the coop how?
Can they see the chicks in the coop?

I find that while every chicken is an individual a few things help.
The adults seeing the chicks while they are very small gets them used to them being there.
Introducing while the chicks still sound like chicks helps.
Lots of places the chicks can dart behind, around and away from the adults helps.
I also prefer the adults to be disinterested in them.
Multiple feed and water stations is pretty important as is having lots of extra space.

I keep remembering things lol i’m sorry but also they are pretty disinterested but when the hen and rooster walk away the baby will chirp at them to come back and the rooster is usually the one who will bolt over first that’s why i kinda think they are protective of them but I can’t tell because he does hurry over there lol

 

[21hens-incharge]

Your roo is a cochin bantam. In my experience they are very chill little birds. I am not overly concerned about his behavior with them.

How big is the space they have both coop and run?
The more space the better when integration is happening.

 

[aldanfac]

Your roo is a cochin bantam. In my experience they are very chill little birds. I am not overly concerned about his behavior with them.

How big is the space they have both coop and run?
The more space the better when integration is happening.

They have a good size coop I am not sure the exact dimensions but it claims to hold 25 chickens I believe. Here is a photo you can see the coop and this is their enclosed outside area, I plan to let them free range in my fenced in portion of the yard but they aren’t going out there yet

 

[21hens-incharge]

That's a great space. You could fence off a section of that for them during integration. That should help.