Mixing babies back into the flock

[Absigail13]

The babies my two hens hatched out are ready to be integrated into the flock. They have been living next to the big flock in a separate pen with their moms since hatching. I’m going to put them in the coop tonight and watch closely for excessive bullying. My big flock free ranges during the day and comes back to roost at night. I want to keep everyone penned up until the pecking order is established and the new babies learn that the coop is where they roost at night. How long do you think it will take them to learn where/what the coop is so that I can let everyone free range again?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

How old are the chicks?
If the broody hens are still mothering, it should go very smoothly. Chicks with hens are best off integrated sooner than later. If another bird would be tempted to bully, the mother will put them in their place and by the time they are done mothering, the chicks are considered a member of the flock.
Also, if they are with the mother, they will follow her into the coop at night.
However if they are much older and not under her care, that can present problems.

 

[cmom]

I agree.

 

[Absigail13]

How old are the chicks?
If the broody hens are still mothering, it should go very smoothly. Chicks with hens are best off integrated sooner than later. If another bird would be tempted to bully, the mother will put them in their place and by the time they are done mothering, the chicks are considered a member of the flock.
Also, if they are with the mother, they will follow her into the coop at night.
However if they are much older and not under her care, that can present problems.

The chicks are about 8 weeks old. I wanted them to be a little bigger before integrating as I have a banty roo that is low man on the pecking order... I have integrated other clutches with him without a problem but was worried he might hurt smaller chicks.

 

[Absigail13]

I also have an older hen that I was going to try and integrate at the same time. I figured more targets would spread out the bullying. And if the banty roo was too ugly to everyone I can always pull him out for a week. I’ve never had to do that with him before though....

 

[Ridgerunner]

I would not do it the way you mentioned. One of my basics of integration is to not force them to be any closer together than you have to. Give them every opportunity to work it out on their own at their pace.

Whether they are still with the broody hens or not, I'd just turn them loose and let them roam and interact as they will. With that much room I would not expect you to have any issues with the other chickens, especially if the broody hens are in protective mode. Still, do it when you can observe in case you do have issues. When you deal with living animals you don't get guarantees as far as behaviors.

They should return to where they have been sleeping, which would be fine with me. Let them roam with the flock for a week or so before you start forcing them together by moving them into that other coop.

Those chicks are not going to anywhere in the pecking order except rock bottom until they mature enough to force their way into the pecking order. With my pullets that is usually about the time they start to lay. Cockerels can be all over the board. With immature chickens I don't expect them to cuddle up with the older chickens on the roosts or stand around the feeders eating together. That will come when they mature. I consider an integration successful when they don't get hurt.

To me there are two main things that can make integration harder. One is mixed maturity levels like you have. The other and far more important is room. Many if not most of the integration horror stories you read about on here happen to people limiting their chickens' room. They are locked in pens. Don't throw away the huge advantage your free ranging gives you.

If it were me I'd not be in your situation. With a broody hen they would have been ranging with the flock pretty much since they were hatched. The hens would have already made sure they were integrated as in accepted by the flock. The chicks would still have to handle their own pecking order issues as they mature, which mine do by avoiding the older flock members until they reach maturity.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

As usual!

 

[Absigail13]

I would not do it the way you mentioned. One of my basics of integration is to not force them to be any closer together than you have to. Give them every opportunity to work it out on their own at their pace.

Whether they are still with the broody hens or not, I'd just turn them loose and let them roam and interact as they will. With that much room I would not expect you to have any issues with the other chickens, especially if the broody hens are in protective mode. Still, do it when you can observe in case you do have issues. When you deal with living animals you don't get guarantees as far as behaviors.

They should return to where they have been sleeping, which would be fine with me. Let them roam with the flock for a week or so before you start forcing them together by moving them into that other coop.

Those chicks are not going to anywhere in the pecking order except rock bottom until they mature enough to force their way into the pecking order. With my pullets that is usually about the time they start to lay. Cockerels can be all over the board. With immature chickens I don't expect them to cuddle up with the older chickens on the roosts or stand around the feeders eating together. That will come when they mature. I consider an integration successful when they don't get hurt.

To me there are two main things that can make integration harder. One is mixed maturity levels like you have. The other and far more important is room. Many if not most of the integration horror stories you read about on here happen to people limiting their chickens' room. They are locked in pens. Don't throw away the huge advantage your free ranging gives you.

If it were me I'd not be in your situation. With a broody hen they would have been ranging with the flock pretty much since they were hatched. The hens would have already made sure they were integrated as in accepted by the flock. The chicks would still have to handle their own pecking order issues as they mature, which mine do by avoiding the older flock members until they reach maturity.

So... would you recommend free ranging them all together right off the bat? The regular flock and my older hen rotate free ranging days but the young birds haven’t free ranged at all yet. I should also clarify that they free range in my backyard because I live in a rural town. Could I start by turning everyone loose in the yard an hour or so before sunset and gradually working more time in? I’m not only concerned about bullying within the flock but also if one of them were to clear a fence during an altercation...

Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Your 8-week-old chicks have been raised with the flock by being next to them just not mixed in with the flock individuals. My brooder is in the coop so mine are also raised "with the flock". When they are five weeks old I typically just open the brooder door after the adults are outside and walk away. Usually the chicks don't leave the coop for two or three days but the adults don't bother them. Hens are going in all the time to lay eggs. After a few days the chicks venture outside.

You can give your chicks a day a day all their own to have that area all by themselves. I don't know if it will help but it won't hurt. But I don't do that, I just let them go. That's with brooder-raised chicks, not chicks still with broody hens.

 

[Mrs. K]

Not sure and maybe it will be fine, but you may have put yourself in a wreck trying to do the right thing. At chicks 8 weeks old, all the broody instinct is gone from the mother bird. When you add her back to the flock, she too will have to fight her way in, she will not protect the babies. One needs to add them to the flock when those hormones are high. However, that is hindsight.

The big question might be, how many birds at each age, and how big is big space? Makes a huge difference.

I am questioning your space and set up. If I take it right, it sounds like you have 3 set ups, the separation area, the coop/run, and a large yard. I would put the big girls, including the mamma birds, out of the coop to free range in your back yard, and lock the littles in the coop/run so that they can explore the set up without being attacked for several hours. I would then let them back in their current set up, let the bigs back in, all go to bed in their current positions. I would try this for a couple of days. Then I would let the bigs out, and later, I would let the littles out in that big yard space, again with hideouts. I would let everyone sleep where they want. After a couple of days of this, I would close up the separation coop.

Make sure you have plenty of hideouts, and extra waters and feeders. I don’t think anyone will fly out, but if you posted pictures, it would help. Large space means different things to different people.

Letting birds explore an area, without being chased, or being chased by you to find the hide outs, can help.