My Older Chicks Have Formed a Committee!

[kbroom]

While huddled in their sandbox, Sugar, Sweetie and Joy wasted no time letting me know that they did NOT appreciate that I recently turned their favorite play area, that is shadier than the rest of the chicken run, into the new coop arena for their younger friends, my four, little Golden Sex Links. It matters not that they have a really nice coop, and everything else they would need. It appears that my older girls have acquired a bit of nostalgia, and want to go back to their baby chick coop! Too late girls, you're far too big for this iddy biddy coop! I strung netting, and pinned it around the baby chick coop, and made a make shift "gate" with chicken wire. So, now my older girls are beginning to know the younger ones. Hopefully, after they become teenagers, the older hens will get along with them, and I'll remove the separation all together. At least, this is the idea. My Barred Rock, Sweetie seems to like them, and they are interested in her. She has a really sweet disposition. When the chicks get a little bigger, I my try testing the waters with her.

 

[chrissynemetz]

After a few weeks of "look but no touch" they should be familiar enough with each to make integration go smoother. Good luck!

 

[Yard Farmer]

After a few weeks of "look but no touch" they should be familiar enough with each to make integration go smoother. Good luck!

Yup, I 2nd that.

 

[Sueby]

My big girls will sometimes go back to the integration coop too & it cracks me up. Normally I keep it closed up but I'm in the middle of integrating 3 new pullets that are sleeping in that coop for now but sharing the run, I found 6 of the big girls in the little coop yesterday just chilling out - it's only 3x4. They looked like sardines in there! Silly, nosey chickens! Sometimes I find an egg in the nest box there too & the littles aren't laying yet.

Good luck with your integration.

 

[kbroom]

My big girls will sometimes go back to the integration coop too & it cracks me up. Normally I keep it closed up but I'm in the middle of integrating 3 new pullets that are sleeping in that coop for now but sharing the run, I found 6 of the big girls in the little coop yesterday just chilling out - it's only 3x4. They looked like sardines in there! Silly, nosey chickens! Sometimes I find an egg in the nest box there too & the littles aren't laying yet.

Good luck with your integration.

Oh my goodness. That sounds so funny, but sure enough that's what mine did! They really do act like kids. In my case, SPOILED kids! The integration (1 month later) went well. At first, Sweetie, My Rock Barr fluttered around the chicks to assert her "authority!" Now, she can flutter all she wants. They barely look at her. I was having the "babies" sleep in the little coop, and the older birds had their own larger coop. Usually, I'd close off the baby coop to keep the larger birds out, so that they would HAVE to go into THEIR coop. This worked pretty well, until one night I forgot to open the gate to the baby coop to allow the little ones into their home. After remembering to unhitch the makeshift gate to the baby coop, I ran downstairs and outside to the coop run. To my utter amazement, ALL seven birds were in the large coop! It's been that way ever since. I've removed all the barriers now, and made an extra yard run for them all, with the barrier materials. I have to give the credit to this integration to God, because I prayed for this (because I don't know what I'm doing), and He DID answer!