New chicks to the coop

[Genrich38]

Hi! This is my first experience with chickens. Our first batch of 12 just started laying. I had ordered others that came later and they are now about 10 weeks old and outgrew the brooder. We integrated through a fence and have now put the smaller ones in the coop with the older ones. The younger group does not go into the coop at night or come out on their own in the morning (I have an automatic door). They have their own roosting bar and area in the coop, I'm just not sure what I can do to get them to go in and come out with the others. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[rosemarythyme]

How long have the younger birds been integrated (freely mixing at will) with the older ones? Any issues while they're all out in the run or in free range?

Any photos of your set up? How big is the coop?

 

[The Coop Crew]

Welcome to the community!!!!

 

[ChickTN2016]

Hi! This is my first experience with chickens. Our first batch of 12 just started laying. I had ordered others that came later and they are now about 10 weeks old and outgrew the brooder. We integrated through a fence and have now put the smaller ones in the coop with the older ones. The younger group does not go into the coop at night or come out on their own in the morning (I have an automatic door). They have their own roosting bar and area in the coop, I'm just not sure what I can do to get them to go in and come out with the others. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Its very normal for the young chicks to not put them selves up at night. I have been doing this for 8 yrs now. We would just put them up each night and after about 2 weeks they get the hang of it and start doing it themselves.

 

[The Coop Crew]

It’s very normal for the young chicks to not put them selves up at night. I have been doing this for 8 yrs now. We would just put them up each night and after about 2 weeks they get the hang of it and start doing it themselves.

I must have gotten really lucky because I put mine in there one time and they’ve put themselves to bed ever since

 

[Ridgerunner]

They have their own roosting bar and area in the coop,

Good. But how big overall is that coop? You have quite a few chickens. My coop and outside space have a lot of space, that helps a lot.

It is perfectly normal for chicks to avoid mature chickens. If they get too close they are likely to get pecked so they usually quickly learn to keep a distance. What you describe is pretty normal behavior.

Are they intermingling outside or are they still separated by a fence? How much room do you have outside? I keep mine across a fence for a week or so then let them mingle. They quickly form two separate flocks. The hens ignore the chicks and the chicks stay away from the hens. If the hens move toward the chicks they almost panic to get away.

Once I'm convinced the hens are not going to attack the chicks as long as the chicks keep their distance I move the chicks into the main coop. I wait until it is dark so the chicks are easier to catch and the hens can't see to attack them. I toss them on the coop floor and lock them in. And I close off where they had been sleeping to make it less attractive to them.

I'm back down there at daybreak to see how it is going. Usually I find the chicks on the roost with the adults on the coop floor. After a couple of days like this I can go back to sleeping in.

Sometimes the chicks put themselves to bed in the main coop the next night. Sometimes they go back to their old area to try to sleep so I wait until it is dark and they are easier to catch and lock them in the main coop. They will learn to go in on their own, sometimes quickly and sometimes it takes a while.

It sounds like your coop is big enough and set up so they can get away from the adults. They are not stupid, if they are getting beat up they are not anxious to go in there. That is often a problem on this forum. Extra room helps with integration.

Good luck!