Introducing my chicks to a chicken

[Caryar18]

I have a different situation. So stay with me. Over a month ago the coop door was left open (for the first time .....) and something got in and killed all my chickens besides one. Sunny, she is so gentle and sweet. The others always pecked on her. Anyways I got 3 new chicks and they are 6/7 weeks old now and I just picked up Sunny from a foster home I put her in so she could hang with another flock until the chicks got big enough to stay outside over night (I live in FL so it is in the upper 70s at night so they have been outside for a week now). Anyways so I am introducing Sunny to the chicks! Sunny is a year old while the chicks are close to 7 weeks. Has anyone ever introduced only one older chicken with younger chicks? I would appreciate all the input!

 

[CluckerFamily]

I haven't been in this situation before but I have integrated chicks before. I do a see but no touch integration to prevent or minimize issues.

 

[rosemarythyme]

x2 on see but don't touch integration - fence off the youngsters so they can see your hen and vice versa, but can't access each other. If both sides seem pretty indifferent after a week or so, you can probably let them mingle with some supervision and some clutter in the area (to provide hiding places if needed). But since the older bird is being brought back in from a different environment, the whole thing should feel new to her as well as the chicks, and you may find that you have an easier/faster integration because of it.

 

[Mrs. K]

One older chicken and 3 chicks, I would expect to work pretty well. But my coop/run has a lot of hideouts, and escape routes where an old hen could not really get too. Pecking and chasing takes energy, chasing three pullets spreads out the pecking and exhausting. A lot of problems can come from many older birds ganging up on a few chicks.

Do have escapes, platforms low to the ground, and multiple feed bowls, one way gates, with openings just big enough for the chicks to scamper through. They don't have to be locked in those, just be able to escape in those.

Mrs k

 

[Caryar18]

One older chicken and 3 chicks, I would expect to work pretty well. But my coop/run has a lot of hideouts, and escape routes where an old hen could not really get too. Pecking and chasing takes energy, chasing three pullets spreads out the pecking and exhausting. A lot of problems can come from many older birds ganging up on a few chicks.

Do have escapes, platforms low to the ground, and multiple feed bowls, one way gates, with openings just big enough for the chicks to scamper through. They don't have to be locked in those, just be able to escape in those.

Mrs k

Awesome I love this advice thank you so much