Let chicks out with the big girls/Day 8-HOOLIGANS!

[Baymule]

I have 6 chicks that are 9 weeks old. Since they were 4 weeks, I've had them in the coop in a cage. Whenever one would get out, one of the 2 SLW hens would promptly attack the interloper and peck them HARD! Yesterday after work I decided it is time. I placated the big girls with an overdose of scratch and let the babies out. I propped the cage door open to give them a safe place to return to. There were minor scuffles and squawks with "I am the QUEEN around here" pecks to the top of their little heads. I pulled grass for all to enjoy and the big girls naturally wanted the chicks snacks. I left plenty of scratch in several places, put feed in the cage feeder and plenty of feed in the big girls feeder. I filled both waterers and secured the cage door open. I checked back on them at dusk and the chicks were back in their cage. This morning, I overdosed them with scratch again, there were a few pecks and squawks, but they all seemed fine. I am home for lunch now and there are no bloody bodies, so I guess I am doing it right.

I have been so nervous about putting them together and not wanting to find one bleeding and pecked. I think my success so far has been due to keeping the cage in the coop for a safe retreat and LOTS of scratch!

 

[snazzyboots]

glad it is going well. i'm going to have to go through the same thing in a few weeks. hope mine goes that well

 

[joypeters]

i'm going to be faced with this shortly. we have two coops, within feet of each other. the big girls free range all day, and i'm keeping the little peepers locked up in the coop/run. i guess i'll keep them there for a few weeks, so the big girls can see them but not touch them, then do what you did to introduce them.

thanks for the post, great ideas!

joy

 

[Baymule]

It is the end of day 3 and all is well.

The youngsters go back to their cage for security and Stella and Lola claim the coop.

Everybody is eating and drinking, no problems there other than the big girls making sure the "kids" toe the line. The chicks scratch around in the coop dirt floor, they are so happy to be out of their cage. Then they run back to it, squawking. What a bunch of goofs.

 

[Baymule]

The youngsters have gone from shy to HOOLIGANS!! They got in the nest box, scratched out all the hay and hang out there now.

Stella and Lola might be the Coop Queens, but even a Queen wants a little privacy when getting to the personal business of laying an egg. They DON'T want a bunch of gawking juvenile delinquients eyeballing the entire process.

So the big girls have laid their eggs on their roost. The eggs fall to the poop board

and a couple of them have broken.

HEY I only get 1 or 2 a day and I don't want any broken cracked chicken pooped eggs.

Today Stella and Lola both laid in the bare nestbox.

I finally thought to bring more hay home this evening, so maybe the hooligan teenagers will let the Coop Queens have a soft place to squat their butts and lay their eggs.

 

[KIDDSBANTAMS]

I will have to combine my two groups also but I have decided to wait until they are closer to laying age because I do not want them getting into the nesting boxes and pooping in them. I don't think it is good to mix them as long as the little ones still make peeping noises also.

 

[Baymule]

I got 1 "chicken love" today--laid in the nestbox. Yay! Maybe they are figuring it out. When I opened the coop, the youngsters were not hanging out in the nestbox. Making Progress.