Introducing to an established flock

[ChickenLoveRI]

Hi everyone. So, for the past week I have been trying to introduce these little cuties into my established flock of orpingtons, australorps and creamed legbars. So far they are getting the booties beat. My older chickens just wont give them a break. At night my little ones stay outside the coop on the be roost and my older gals go inside the coop. I leave the coop door open so they have the opportunity to go in if want but I cant keep it open overnight because of animals getting them. What should I do??? Will they get injured if I lock them in with my older chickens???

 

[azygous]

Do I count four chicks? How old are they? It's not easy to tell from the blurry photo.

How many adults in the flock? How old are the youngest adults?

You need to level the playing field for the chicks. They are naturally fearful of the older chickens, and the older chickens are naturally suspicious of the chicks unless they've been brooded in proximity to the adult flock. (This is my method, by the way. It eliminates the xenophobia when introducing new chicks.)

Before I use up a lot of time and energy giving advice without all the facts, could you answer the questions about ages and numbers? Please.

 

[ChickenLoveRI]

Do I count four chicks? How old are they? It's not easy to tell from the blurry photo.

How many adults in the flock? How old are the youngest adults?

You need to level the playing field for the chicks. They are naturally fearful of the older chickens, and the older chickens are naturally suspicious of the chicks unless they've been brooded in proximity to the adult flock. (This is my method, by the way. It eliminates the xenophobia when introducing new chicks.)

Before I use up a lot of time and energy giving advice without all the facts, could you answer the questions about ages and numbers? Please.

All older chickens are 4 months and there are 9 all hens. younger ones are 7ish weeks and there are 4 all hens

 

[Farm boy 14]

how big are they compared to your adults? I usually wait until they are at least half the size of the big ones. I don't know if this is the best technique but I usually every day for about 20-30 minutes put the young ones in with the big ones. I watch them to see how they do. a way I do it is lock up all but one adult chicken and put the young ones in with that one in the run( put the other three inside). so that way they get used to one of them at a time and every 5-10 minutes or so add another adult to the run. what you can also do is free range them together so that way they can get away if they have to. after that time is up put them back into their separate pens. eventually you can leave the younger ones in with the big ones at night.

 

[ChickenLoveRI]

how big are they compared to your adults? I usually wait until they are at least half the size of the big ones. I don't know if this is the best technique but I usually every day for about 20-30 minutes put the young ones in with the big ones. I watch them to see how they do. a way I do it is lock up all but one adult chicken and put the young ones in with that one in the run( put the other three inside). so that way they get used to one of them at a time and every 5-10 minutes or so add another adult to the run. what you can also do is free range them together so that way they can get away if they have to. after that time is up put them back into their separate pens. eventually you can leave the younger ones in with the big ones at night.

They are half the size. They free range together but they get harrassed often. I'm fearful to leave them in the coop overnight as they cant get away like they do during the day

 

[Farm boy 14]

that is true. if nothing is working yet than wait a bit longer. be patient it will take them more than once to get used to each other

 

[azygous]

You're facing two problems, at least. One is that the "older" hens are still borderline juveniles. They will be in competition with the two-month olds. The youngsters are naturally afraid and will concede to the older ones in all things, refusing to stand up for themselves at this time. It's how chicken society is set up.

I said that you need to level the playing field. That means you need to provide advantages for the chicks. This means rigging up what I refer to as a "panic room". Since the chicks are already of size, it won't be functional but for two or three weeks, but it will give the chicks time to gain self confidence.

You will cut 4 1/2 inch by 7 inch holes in this temporary safe pen so the chicks can come and go but the older hens can't. Food and water are placed inside for the chicks so they get plenty to eat and drink without being chased and hassled.

By the time the chicks are ten weeks old they won't be able to fit through these portals, but they should be able to hold their own by then.

As for sleeping, go ahead and put the chicks in the coop with the older hens, but wait until the hens have settled in. The chickens won't be much interested in tormenting each other at night as they will be much more inclined to sleep. It should also be too dark to see. If not, you need to do something about that.

Place the chicks on a perch as far from the older girls as possible. You will also need to teach the chicks to go into the coop at night. They won't just automatically know to do that. Putting them through the pop hole will teach them, and they should be doing it on their own in just a few nights.

Yes, you will need to referee for a week or so at bedtime, but that's part of the duties of a chick parent.

 

[ChickenLoveRI]

Awesome info. Thanks for taking the time to write all of that up. I kind of had a feeling the "teenagers" were being teenagers.

 

[azygous]

Chicken under one year can be real street punks. They are so full of themselves and love to push around any younger chickens. They are also full of churning hormones which make for even more punkishness.

 

[azygous]

I wanted to mention that next time, consider brooding your new chicks with the flock. This makes them part of the flock from day one, and there's very little bullying later as the chicks take their places in the flock social structure.

Contrary to what many flock keepers think, it's much easier to integrate two-week old chicks with the adult flock than to wait until they are older and nearly the same size for the simple reason chicks are not threatening to the pecking order while larger chicks are starting to be.

Baby chicks are entirely capable of sizing up the big chickens and learning which are to be avoided and which ones they can be safe around.

I wrote up how I discovered how raising chicks in a large space such as a run is far more beneficial than a small brooder, and how proximity to the flock allows chicks to safely mingle with the adults at just age two weeks. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-start-raising-your-chicks-outdoors.71995/