Introducing my baby chicks to year old flock

[karenerwin]

When I integrate my young chicks to the rest of the flock I put them in a wire dog crate. The wire spaces are large enough that the chicks can go in and out but the older chickens can not. I also keep separate feeder and waterer inside the crate so the chicks have their own protected food & water source. This has been working very well for me for several years!

 

[starri33]

These are the new additions to my flock, this is how I introduced the first group, they are in this crate inside the current coop. my closes guess is they are 5 to 6 weeks old now.. my first group stayed in the crate for 4 weeks till they decided to escape one day and beyond the normal pecking order stuff, no problem.

 

[FiddleChics]

@Harley Chick - LOVE your photos and what a great idea! Thank you for the inspiration!

I've got ten, 3 week old chicks... and I'm trying to plan ahead - for their integration soon, with the 2 'big hens' I have now. So I read this and my imagination set to work. I'm super thrifty... but sometimes for me, saving time building something... is worth more than a pre-made item that does the trick... In that vein of thought... Here's what I did:
I have a 30' x 26' totally enclosed run, attached to the coop, AND a separate 6'x14' covered run - that's part of the coop. I wanted to segregate off, as you did - part of that enclosed run, that would still allow the 'big girls' access to inside the coop, and under the coop where they can find shelter if there's bad weather, but one end would let the new chicks... have space to integrate safely.

I went to Lowes - Intending to get 1x1 wood to build a chicken wire wall... BUT... for $15 each, I found 'no dig' fence sections that are 3' wide x 3'.6" high. I bought 2 of them, and stakes to bind them together... and voila... sectioned off a large section at the end of the covered run! I will zip-tie some plastic, poultry netting over the top of the fence to prevent anyone from flying over. All total it cost me $37 (not including the zip ties which I had) but it cost me NO time building, cutting wire, stapling the wire down, & putting it all together...etc. I just staked the posts into the ground, and I'll zip tie up the poultry netting on top of it! For added strength I'll probably ziptie the sides to the wire walls too. I'm SO relieved and I still have the rest of my day to spend doing fun stuff like working in the garden, & playing outside! Here's the links to what I found, if anyone's interested.
NOTE: I could have used less expensive chicken wire on top... but I'm accident prone, and I know I'd cut myself up if I ducked in and out of the 'baby pen" - so my husband said, let's spend the extra... and avoid me getting cut up. (He's very sweet that way).

No dig fence panel: https://www.lowes.com/pd/No-Dig-Act...Steel-Decorative-Metal-Fence-Panel/1000228079

Plastic poultry fence roll https://www.lowes.com/pd/Tenax-Actu...een-HDPE-Extruded-Mesh-Rolled-Fencing/3457516

 

[jdbryant]

I set my chicks up in a kiddie pool in the hen house with chicken wire around so they could see each other. About 4 days later, I go out and find my chicks in the main coop (out of the pool) and two of my hens INSIDE the pool! After that, I took the chicken wire down, got the pool out, set up the chick food and never been a problem since! And in case you are wondering...YES! There is a rooster in the house too and he doesn't mind a bit!

Not sure if this would work for you but it has worked well for me! Chicks are a couple of weeks old, one is maybe a week and a half.

Best of luck to you!

 

[MYon]

I'd like to add to this thread, with additional questions about pecking.
I've read lots of good points on introducing and integrating the flock in this forum. So, here's what I have so far:
I have 2 "big girls" that are just past a year old. I have 6 "baby girls" that are 9 weeks. For the last 4 weeks I have put the baby girls in a "playpen" situated inside my 20'x9' run. They have seen each other for 10+ hours per day, every day for 4 weeks. I will bring the baby girls into the garage at night. Just the past few days, I have been opening the playpen to allow some mingling while I stand watch. My intention was to allow them to free range together (I always let my big girls out when I get home in the evenings), however it winds up being that I open the gate and the big girls run to their favorite spots on the property.....far away from the run.....and my baby girls stay within a few feet of the run. So, essentially there is no mingling. If I call the big girls back to the run, they chase the babies back inside and with the gate still open and me still standing watch, they will chase the younger ones around and peck at them. Now, I expect some pecking order stuff to be happening, but what I want to know is how much pecking is too much? How long should I continue this socialization before I can just let them be together unattended? I ideally would like to be able to put them all together in the run while I'm at work, but don't want to come home to dead chickens. I also don't know when would be a good time to allow the smaller girls to start staying the night in the coop. The coop size is roughly 4'x2.5'. I am planning to build a bigger one soon, I just haven't had the opportunity to get it done yet.
Any advice is appreciated. I really just don't know when to consider the amount of pecking I see safe for the littles.
Thanks!

 

[FiddleChics]

I'd like to add to this thread, with additional questions about pecking.
I've read lots of good points on introducing and integrating the flock in this forum. So, here's what I have so far:
I have 2 "big girls" that are just past a year old. I have 6 "baby girls" that are 9 weeks. For the last 4 weeks I have put the baby girls in a "playpen" situated inside my 20'x9' run. They have seen each other for 10+ hours per day, every day for 4 weeks. I will bring the baby girls into the garage at night. Just the past few days, I have been opening the playpen to allow some mingling while I stand watch. My intention was to allow them to free range together (I always let my big girls out when I get home in the evenings), however it winds up being that I open the gate and the big girls run to their favorite spots on the property.....far away from the run.....and my baby girls stay within a few feet of the run. So, essentially there is no mingling. If I call the big girls back to the run, they chase the babies back inside and with the gate still open and me still standing watch, they will chase the younger ones around and peck at them. Now, I expect some pecking order stuff to be happening, but what I want to know is how much pecking is too much? How long should I continue this socialization before I can just let them be together unattended? I ideally would like to be able to put them all together in the run while I'm at work, but don't want to come home to dead chickens. I also don't know when would be a good time to allow the smaller girls to start staying the night in the coop. The coop size is roughly 4'x2.5'. I am planning to build a bigger one soon, I just haven't had the opportunity to get it done yet.
Any advice is appreciated. I really just don't know when to consider the amount of pecking I see safe for the littles.
Thanks!

Wow, Sounds like we've got a very similar situation, and I totally hear your concern. My husband and I - just came to the realization last night, as we sat watching the flock... that things have finally, & completely calmed down & the extreme chasing/pecking is over. Our peeps are a tad over 13 weeks now... and it seemed like it took forEVERRRRR... but the integration process you're doing, sounds great... just keep going!

Establishing designated areas in the run, 'safe harbors' where they could get away from the hens is a good idea. I often found them all in there lounging, & put food & water in there for them too. It was easy to do... I purchased a few panels of 'no-dig, metal fence sections', at Lowes, and created a sort of barrier wall. I anchored them down with the stakes, but raised the sections up off the ground, & supported it with bricks - which created a good sized gap that the peeps could scoot under, but it was too low for the large hens to fit through! I also zip-tied plastic poultry mesh - at the top (it is hard and stands up well) which made the barrier wall a bit higher. So a few of these spaces, set up in the run - give the peeps places to escape to, where they can relax - away from chasing, & the hens sharp beaks.

Here's the link: https://www.lowes.com/pd/no-dig-act...lwFpXx9aB7Ui484rqxkrNwTISRfM3bQkaAvrlEALw_wcB

Several friends here at BYC advised too, that when the little ones are closer in size to the big girls -it's much better, and I've found that this is true. They can defend themselves better... but I just wanted everyone outside & to be happy, with peace & harmony in the coop! But that wasn't to be, right away... it took a while... and a lot of time & attention, like you're doing! Just keep going!!! It sounds like you're on the right track! It's good you have 6 littles. They'll be their own little gang. Even at 13+ weeks, mine still stick together... and stay away from the big hens, who, at this point aren't all that much bigger anymore.

As far your question - how much is too much, or when does it become unsafe... trust your instinct. You will know in your gut when it's too much. You don't ever want blood drawn... or feathers being brutally ripped out. I knew - when I saw my "Attila the Hen" going past the point of what I felt was the natural, pecking order. She was unmercifully chasing, bullying, pecking and tearing out the peep's feathers... and they were all huddled in the corner, terrified of her. I really didn't want to do it, I put the pinless peepers on "Attila" - and they stayed on her for about a week... and that changed her behavior - sure and fast. Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076CLT1BC/?tag=backy-20

She could totally eat, drink, lay eggs, roost, and do all her regular stuff... she just couldn't chase the peeps.

I hope this helped... Good luck @MYon, and keep us updated!

 

[MYon]

Wow, Sounds like we've got a very similar situation, and I totally hear your concern. My husband and I - just came to the realization last night, as we sat watching the flock... that things have finally, & completely calmed down & the extreme chasing/pecking is over. Our peeps are a tad over 13 weeks now... and it seemed like it took forEVERRRRR... but the integration process you're doing, sounds great... just keep going!

Establishing designated areas in the run, 'safe harbors' where they could get away from the hens is a good idea. I often found them all in there lounging, & put food & water in there for them too. It was easy to do... I purchased a few panels of 'no-dig, metal fence sections', at Lowes, and created a sort of barrier wall. I anchored them down with the stakes, but raised the sections up off the ground, & supported it with bricks - which created a good sized gap that the peeps could scoot under, but it was too low for the large hens to fit through! I also zip-tied plastic poultry mesh - at the top (it is hard and stands up well) which made the barrier wall a bit higher. So a few of these spaces, set up in the run - give the peeps places to escape to, where they can relax - away from chasing, & the hens sharp beaks.

Here's the link: https://www.lowes.com/pd/no-dig-act...lwFpXx9aB7Ui484rqxkrNwTISRfM3bQkaAvrlEALw_wcB

Several friends here at BYC advised too, that when the little ones are closer in size to the big girls -it's much better, and I've found that this is true. They can defend themselves better... but I just wanted everyone outside & to be happy, with peace & harmony in the coop! But that wasn't to be, right away... it took a while... and a lot of time & attention, like you're doing! Just keep going!!! It sounds like you're on the right track! It's good you have 6 littles. They'll be their own little gang. Even at 13+ weeks, mine still stick together... and stay away from the big hens, who, at this point aren't all that much bigger anymore.

As far your question - how much is too much, or when does it become unsafe... trust your instinct. You will know in your gut when it's too much. You don't ever want blood drawn... or feathers being brutally ripped out. I knew - when I saw my "Attila the Hen" going past the point of what I felt was the natural, pecking order. She was unmercifully chasing, bullying, pecking and tearing out the peep's feathers... and they were all huddled in the corner, terrified of her. I really didn't want to do it, I put the pinless peepers on "Attila" - and they stayed on her for about a week... and that changed her behavior - sure and fast. Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076CLT1BC/?tag=backy-20

She could totally eat, drink, lay eggs, roost, and do all her regular stuff... she just couldn't chase the peeps.

I hope this helped... Good luck @MYon, and keep us updated!

Thanks for your input! I'll keep going along. Today has seemed a little less pecking and more just chasing from the big girls. So we shall see!