Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

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Thanks everybody for the help. I am going today to see if they have the breeds still that I want, since I wasn't able to go yesterday. If they do they should be at least a week old by now or very close and I would be putting them in with my 2 week old chicks. Of the 5 I have now, three are a bit bigger then the other two, so maybe my smallest chick will be happier having the younger chicks in there. Safety in numbers and such. I'll let you know how it goes if I end up doing it and post pictures later. However this does mean my DH will have to get his butt in gear on our coop...maybe a few more chicks will encourage him to build it faster.
 
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Here is what I rigged up for the littles side of the coop to keep the adults out of their side, seems to have done the trick.
 
aart said:
Is there an age range you find most compliant......set up for these integration....and trouble you've had and solutions?
Yes, you should write an article!!

Like @Blooie I've had no trouble up to about 2 weeks.
Click to expand...

I am CURRENTLY working with 19 week olds and 8 week olds. I will tell you no matter how docile the 19 week ones are they get testy with the 8 weekers around. My three most dominant hens and the roo all take it upon themselves to terrorize the "babies" if they get near. It's been 5 days of feeding them together (and staying while they eat), communal run and "back yard fun time". The bigs will, on occasion, come across the back yard just to chase the littles. Not saying it won't get to a point of homeostasis but it's not been a smooth integration.

Unless you have time on your hands, I wouldn't recommend this age difference. I can guarantee that even if I'm offered free chicks of a breed I want, I will not (again) do this.
 
AlHawk said:
I am CURRENTLY working with 19 week olds and 8 week olds. I will tell you no matter how docile the 19 week ones are they get testy with the 8 weekers around. My three most dominant hens and the roo all take it upon themselves to terrorize the "babies" if they get near. It's been 5 days of feeding them together (and staying while they eat), communal run and "back yard fun time". The bigs will, on occasion, come across the back yard just to chase the littles. Not saying it won't get to a point of homeostasis but it's not been a smooth integration.

Unless you have time on your hands, I wouldn't recommend this age difference. I can guarantee that even if I'm offered free chicks of a breed I want, I will not (again) do this.
Click to expand...
A few more food and water stations may help ease tension in your flock.
 
Just can't stop dinking with the chicken coop.

Built a leanto wire barrier to get the chicks used to going thru the chick doors between the coop partition and the main coop and it worked pretty darn well.
A section of 1x2 welded wire cut a little shorter than the span, a stick of 1/3 to stiffen the bottom edge,and a scrap of plastic mesh to flexibly fill the remaining gap span.

Had to shove a few thru at first, but they figured it out pretty quick....they like it in there, found half of them lounging in there this afternoon(didn't get a pic of that of course), when I walked into the main coop most of them scampered back thru the doors to their safe haven.

From the main coop side of the partition wall.......

....doors are set to about 3-3.5" wide.


End view of leanto.....only one chick lounging in there at the time.

Partition side of wall.



....AND to stay on topic(hahaha) removed the MHP and replaced it with a huddle box.
The oldest chicks are 4 weeks old tomorrow and most are mostly feathered.



So will take the leanto down after a couple days and they can venture fully in to the big birds world.....
....Because I also got the entire main run meshed with 1/2" HC yesterday!!!!
Thanks to my most wonderful buddy who came over and helped me knock it out.
.....and he graciously crawled under the coop to get the Under-Run meshed.
115 feet of mesh and 150 zipties. Finished up the door panels this morning.
 
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