Introducing my new chicks

[icprnss78]

My chicks are now 6 weeks old ( New Hamshire Red named Gypsy 2 white unknown breed named Winter and AnnaBeth and 3 Cuckoo Maran named Sake' , Ruckus and Chicken "Nugget") and I introducted them to my 2 hens two weeks ago. It went pretty flawless. My hens are a RIR named Luna and my Araucana named Festus are super sweet, however they can be a little dominating at times which I know is normal. We have the new chicks "coop trained". They use the ramp well, roost well and know where to go at night. However my big girls intimidate the chicks out of the hen house and I always find them huddling below and have to put them in the hen house myself...this is getting very old! My question is, how do I keep my big girls from running out the littles? I live in SC but it's still pretty chilly at night and don't want to take the "let them work it out approach" right now. Or is this just something they will work out themselves soon enough? Please help this chicken mommy. I want ALL my sweet babies to be safe!!

 

[Mrs. K]

You will pretty much have to keep doing what you are doing now. Eventually they will get big enough to hold their own, but at 6 weeks they are much smaller than the full grown birds, and therefore low in the pecking order. Even with really nice chickens, this is how their society works.

Next time have a broody hen raise them right in the flock and there won't be any integration issues.

Really, I think you have been very lucky it went this smoothly.

Mrs K

 

[nanahogs]

They still may be to small right now to hold their own but as they get several weeks older they will work it out. Maybe put a heat lamp in the coop since they are outside of the coop?

 

[icprnss78]

My husband and I were having this discussion earlier. I will NEVER raise hand raise chicks again. Lol It was exhausting. I will definitely let a hen do it next time.

I will also move the lamp I guess. It appears what they are doing is beyond my controll and the just have to work it out I guess. I do go up about 10pm when everyone is sleeping and place the chicks in the hen house. Since the big girls are sleepy then they don't run them off because the chicks are still in when I do morning chicken duty...

 

[nanahogs]

Yeah they will work it out! At that age they are usually pretty tough and can take the cold to some degree but I wouldn't worry!

 

[icprnss78]

Update! My chicks and hens were happily roosting together last night. Chicks went in on their own and stood their ground. Yayyy!

 

[nanahogs]

Swesome

 

[icprnss78]

Make that 2 nights in a row! Proud chicken mommy here! Lol