Mixing large and small chickens

[happyhensny]

When they are adults, they should be able to be mixed. As chicks though they should not est layer feed. Too much calcium and not the correct protein. Not healthy for the babies.

 

[Goose and Fig]

I am raising standard & bantam cochin chicks in the same brooder. The standards are 2 weeks older, and much bigger- but very docile. I have the brooder inside my big coop- but I have a gate on top so the big hens can't harrass them. It works out good because these chicks are too small to free-range without a hen for protection, so they have a nice safe spot and the big girls can roam as they please.

Here's my idea- might work for you too: We are building a big new breeding coop (all reclaimed materials) for our cochins. I am putting in built in brooders. So- if someone goes broody- like cochins and even orps do- I can just shut the door! This could work for acclimating chicks as well.

 

[NuthatchKnollChickens]

Built-in brooders are a great idea! My coop has two sides to it - the main 8x8 section and a smaller 4x8 section that I use to store feed, etc (we call it the "people side"). We put down shavings in our "people side", and used that as a kind of "transitional brooder" for the new Barred Rock. We installed a block on the door between the two sections so that we could lock it open just wide enough for the little ones to get through but not the big girls. We keep the little ones' water and food (they are still on Start & Grow) on that side. The little ones haven't shown a bit of interest in the layer pellets, though they are certainly acessible to them since they can come and go as they please through the whole coop now and seem to spend most of their time over in the larger side and in the run. Might be the texture - I guess they prefer the crumbles that they are accustomed to. Also, since they free range in the afternoon, they get plenty of variety in their diet and maybe the layer pellets just aren't all that interesting.

 

[cmom]

Some integrations go better than others. I had a couple of hens that were real bullies so I put them in jail for a week where they could see the other birds and the other birds could see them. I understand they have to establish their pecking order, but one hen was after blood. When I let them out one was ok but one was still a bully so I would squirt her with a hose when I saw her pouncing on one of the younger birds. After a few squirts she settled down. Maybe she just got tired of being squirted. Wait awhile until your little ones get a bit bigger before you put them together. The older chicks can really hurt or kill the younger ones. As long as they can see each other the integration should go smoother. There will still be some pecking when you do put them together as they establish their pecking order. I put mine together in the yard so the little ones can escape and get away from the older ones. Also I put out some treat so the older birds will fixate more on the treats than the younger birds. I integrated 1½ yr old hens with 3 to 4 month old pullets.