New Chicks and One Old Hen Integration

[JAMarlow]

Let's see if I can make this make sense:

Our old flock is now down to just one Buff Orpington. She's an old chill girl who no longer lays eggs, but she still does the secondary chicken job which is pest control in the yard. She typically spends her days with the 2 older gals in the neighbor's yard during the day, but roosts in her home coop at night (both yards are fenced, and there's an open gate between us and the neighbors). During the day she will go back and forth between the two yards as she forages.

I have 10 mixed breed chick tweens who are growing fast. They are to replace the old flock which have two jobs: eggs and insect control in our fenced back yard. The cheepers are now going outside during the day into a big dog crate in the chicken run. The chicken run is open so that our Buff can forage.

Today I watched the Buff investigate the cheepers, standing right by the wire. The cheepers seemed mostly fine with it. She wasn't aggressive. Just seemed curious.

Going forward, how hard will it be to integrate the two? Is it going to be a different process or dynamic considering there is only 1 adult and 10 chicks?

I have only one coop, and if the chicks keep feathering out like they do, they will be ready to be confined to the coop for about a week before being allowed out in the chicken run during the day for a few weeks. It's still a little cool to be outside all the time and I don't have power to the area to put in the brooder plate (which would have solved that issue).

One issue I see is that our Buff is accustomed to foraging and coming and going during the day as she wants. I doubt she will be pleased with being held inside the coop for a long time. If I put some things to play with in the run, she would probably do okay being confined inside, even though not happy with it.

A few details:

• The chicks will outgrow the dog crate in about 2 weeks.
• It will take 2-3 weeks to get the run repaired for the little ones. I need to make repairs, and deal with an extension that was made years ago that needs to be covered (have already found a hawk eyeing the chicks in the crate). I'm figuring out how to cover it and with what material.
• This is in Arizona, and next week in our area we are supposed to be getting into the mid to high 90s during the day and in the low 60's at night.

While the chicks are not ready for the outdoors full-time yet, I'm trying to strategize what I need to do.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

There are a lot of options, but quite frankly, my first gut reaction is give the older hen to the neighbors. She'd probably be really happy with that flock since she views it already as her flock mates. She'll be disappointed not to forage freely, but she'll probably be happier there than with a bunch of teen girls.

Having said that, if she is chill, and not aggressive, when you are ready to integrate the teens, simply do so in open forage while watching. If the Buff is as chill as you think, she won't be aggressive with the teens...but I suspect she will be annoyed (who wants to listen to silly teen girl talk all day).

The teens will act like the "pack." The larger hen will likely sit more staring at the fence she used to be able to go through to her flock.

Just my immediate reaction.

LofMc

 

[JAMarlow]

Went out to fetch the kiddies to bring them in for the night. Buff was laying down on one side of the dog crate wire, and a couple of the chicks were laying down on the other. She stuck around as I gathered them up to put in the pet carrier, too, instead of running off like the other day.

Veeeery interesting.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Went out to fetch the kiddies to bring them in for the night. Buff was laying down on one side of the dog crate wire, and a couple of the chicks were laying down on the other. She stuck around as I gathered them up to put in the pet carrier, too, instead of running off like the other day.

Veeeery interesting.

Well now. If you are LUCKY, she will start to mother the chicks. Buff Orps are known for broodiness.

If she's interested and happy, there's your answer.

LofMc