Introducing our chicks

[Thesweetbirdsflock]

I have two chicks that we incubated. They are now living outside with the big chickens in a separate part of the coop Where they can see each other. When the chicks get to be the size of the big chickens, I plan to combine them. The problem is that the big ones literally try to kill the chicks, so I’m really nervous about when I have to put them together! Any thoughts or ideas?

 

[TwoChicksChix]

Your best bet is to wait until the chicks are about he same size as your full grown chickens, or at least close to it. I normally don’t introduce new chickens until they’re 14-16 weeks of age because they just aren’t big enough until then.

As long as the chickens can see them before then it will help reduce fighting once they merge, but there still will be a little ruff housing as they get their pecking order in.

 

[chrissynemetz]

If you're able to do the 'see no touch' for several weeks it usually makes integration go a little smoother. I normally try to introduce any new chicks during free range time, it gives the new guys more room to run and hide. Also try to give the chickens lots of places to hide in the run, to escape being picked on. And multiple feed and water stations helps as well. But no matter what you do, there will likely be a few squabbles and a bit of picking and chasing until the pecking order is sorted out

 

[aart]

I have two chicks that we incubated. They are now living outside with the big chickens in a separate part of the coop. When the chicks get to be the size of the big chickens, I plan to combine them. The problem is that the big ones literally try to kill the chicks, so I’m really nervous about when I have to put them together! Any thoughts or ideas?

How are they trying 'to kill them'?
Pics of your setup (coop, run, dividers) would really help here.

How old are the chicks?
Old school of thought was wait until equal size to integrate, but many have found integrating chicks at a young age works very well, if you are set up for it.
Check out this link, it shows my, and others, setup for integrating chicks young.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

Oh, and...Welcome to BYC! @Thesweetbirdsflock
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
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[Ridgerunner]

What happened when they tried to kill them? Could you please describe that. Also how many older chickens do you have and (most important) how much room do you have inside the coop and outside?

Mature chickens outrank immature chickens and often peck the immature when their personal space is invaded. My immature chickens quickly learn to stay away from the adults until they mature themselves. With my pullets they hit maturity about the time they start to lay. Until then they pretty much form a sub-flock, hanging around but sort of avoiding the adults. Occasionally you can get a hen that is such a brute that she seeks out immature chickens to destroy them, but those are pretty rare. The tighter the space the more likely one is to act that way.

If the loser in a chicken fight doesn't run away and get away the winner takes it as a challenge to her rank. She will keep attacking, usually pecking the head. You can get dead chickens this way. This is the same whether it is cockerels or roosters fighting each other or hens fighting each other or attacking immature chickens or roosters and hens disagreeing. It is important that the weaker ones have room to run away and to avoid the stronger. If space is tight integration can be hard.

My brooder is in the coop so my chicks are raised with the flock. I have a lot of room inside and out, plus I have weather when I integrate that the adults and chicks can spend all day every day outside. I open that brooder at 5 weeks and it works great. I have never lost a chick doing that. To me age or size isn't that important, having enough room is. Housing them together but across wire so they get used to each other can be a big help too. There are tricks that can help improve the quality of the space you do have.

I'm sure your situation is totally different from mine. The more you can tell us about your situation the more likely we can offer specific suggestions that might help you.

 

[Thesweetbirdsflock]

What happened when they tried to kill them? Could you please describe that. Also how many older chickens do you have and (most important) how much room do you have inside the coop and outside?

Mature chickens outrank immature chickens and often peck the immature when their personal space is invaded. My immature chickens quickly learn to stay away from the adults until they mature themselves. With my pullets they hit maturity about the time they start to lay. Until then they pretty much form a sub-flock, hanging around but sort of avoiding the adults. Occasionally you can get a hen that is such a brute that she seeks out immature chickens to destroy them, but those are pretty rare. The tighter the space the more likely one is to act that way.

If the loser in a chicken fight doesn't run away and get away the winner takes it as a challenge to her rank. She will keep attacking, usually pecking the head. You can get dead chickens this way. This is the same whether it is cockerels or roosters fighting each other or hens fighting each other or attacking immature chickens or roosters and hens disagreeing. It is important that the weaker ones have room to run away and to avoid the stronger. If space is tight integration can be hard.

My brooder is in the coop so my chicks are raised with the flock. I have a lot of room inside and out, plus I have weather when I integrate that the adults and chicks can spend all day every day outside. I open that brooder at 5 weeks and it works great. I have never lost a chick doing that. To me age or size isn't that important, having enough room is. Housing them together but across wire so they get used to each other can be a big help too. There are tricks that can help improve the quality of the space you do have.

I'm sure your situation is totally different from mine. The more you can tell us about your situation the more likely we can offer specific suggestions that might help you.

This is REALLY helpful! Thank you! We have blocked of a part of the coop with wire, so they can see each other. The older girls run up to the wire screaming to scare the little ones. We have started to let them free range together but the big ones end up have to be chased away so save the little ones. A few times one of the little ones (we have two) has jumped over the divider. I heard squawking so I can out. All three of the big ones had one little one cornered and were pecking her as she was desperately trying to get through the holes in the wire back to her side. Her little friend was scared to. No blood though. The little ones can’t get over anymore. We have tons of space in our coop. We have room for six chickens saying that each chicken should have three square feet of space. We only have the four adults and two little ones. I don’t want to call them babies or chicks because they are getting pretty big. I want to wait to put them together until they are all the same size. The hiding spots idea is really great! Will definitely do that! We have an area underneath the coop that the chickens can go to scratch in, but I’m thinking we should close it off when we first add the little ones? Not sure though.

 

[Thesweetbirdsflock]

How are they trying 'to kill them'?
Pics of your setup (coop, run, dividers) would really help here.

How old are the chicks?
Old school of thought was wait until equal size to integrate, but many have found integrating chicks at a young age works very well, if you are set up for it.
Check out this link, it shows my, and others, setup for integrating chicks young.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

Oh, and...Welcome to BYC! @Thesweetbirdsflock
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!
View attachment 1861699

Thanks!
One of our little ones got to have an actual mama hen but she has died and so they are past the point of being that little.

 

[aart]

One of our little ones got to have an actual mama hen but she has died and so they are past the point of being that little.

Oh, first post said incubated so I thought you hatched them.
How old are they?
You still might be able to make openings big enough for chicks but not the older birds.

These tips might help.
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

 

[rosemarythyme]

A I want to wait to put them together until they are all the same size. The hiding spots idea is really great! Will definitely do that! We have an area underneath the coop that the chickens can go to scratch in, but I’m thinking we should close it off when we first add the little ones? Not sure though.

I'd leave the area open, as long as it's not so deep that you can't reach in to grab a chicken in distress, since that's just more space to use.

Hiding spaces actually work better IMO when the chicks are still very small, as it's easier to then make gaps that only chicks will fit in. Of course this depends on how big your "babies" are... maybe yours are already past that point.

 

[Mrs. K]

I am a believer in clutter. Too many runs are just a wide open space and a bird cannot truly get out of sight of another bird. Pallets leaned up against a fence, roosts, pieces of plywood making a mini wall where as a bird can "disappear" for a while.

But another suggestion, often times, what people do is put the chicks into the hen territory. That's where they want them to be. And the hens attack at first moment. Chicks panic, and return to their safe spot or cannot get away and take a beating.

Try this: put the old girls out of the run/coop maybe in your yard. Lock them out of the coop/run, and then let the chicks out into the coop/run. Now they can explore this new space in safety, figure it out without being attacked.

You might do this for a couple of days, another aspect, is your hens see the chicks in their territory and the sky does not fall. Try feeding along the fence, so that both groups of birds approach each other to eat.

Then when you are ready to try this again, split the flock. Pick your meanest girls and put them where the chicks were. Put the chicks with just 2 of the hens. Let them duke it out as much as possible, but this is more one on one that 4 against 2. If that don't do, put three in the chick spot, and one with the chicks. Do this two or three days. It is a lot of dinking around, but it will work.

After you get some success, then just before dark, let them all together. Get down there early the next morning. But I am thinking that if you have hide outs, and clutter in the run, and you do the steps it will go much better.

Mrs K