My pullet chicks have been in thier own enclosure inside the big layer run for about a month. Just separted by chicken wire they get used to the adult birds and visa versa as they grow. At 6 wks they still aren't big enough to survive the adult flock unattanded, but this weekend I shooed the big birds out to free range and opened the pullets enclosure. I thought it would take them awhile to venture out by they pretty much shot out between my feet to start runnign around checking everything out.
They were pretty shocked when it started raining on them since their enclosure is completely covered, but when I forked over a couple big globs of worm filled dirt they ignored the rain to feast. I was very pleased by their boldness and how eager they were to forage. I brought them lots of weeds and clumps of grass to work on.
I closed them up later in the afternoon when they all went back into thier place to nap, then let the big girls back into their run. They were quite huffy with the babies getting thier worms.
When I went to change everyones water that evening the pullets charged enmasse to get out again. I was a little concerned the adult hens would attack, but they were more interested in getting into the pullets shelter to check it out. There were some hard pecks given, espeically by my alpha hen, but not the evil out of blood hunting they have done in the past. Hopefully, fingers crossed, I can start integrating them and they can all be in one coop beofre we leave for a long weekend in June. I think it helps the pullets out number the hens 2 to 1.
They were pretty shocked when it started raining on them since their enclosure is completely covered, but when I forked over a couple big globs of worm filled dirt they ignored the rain to feast. I was very pleased by their boldness and how eager they were to forage. I brought them lots of weeds and clumps of grass to work on.
I closed them up later in the afternoon when they all went back into thier place to nap, then let the big girls back into their run. They were quite huffy with the babies getting thier worms.
When I went to change everyones water that evening the pullets charged enmasse to get out again. I was a little concerned the adult hens would attack, but they were more interested in getting into the pullets shelter to check it out. There were some hard pecks given, espeically by my alpha hen, but not the evil out of blood hunting they have done in the past. Hopefully, fingers crossed, I can start integrating them and they can all be in one coop beofre we leave for a long weekend in June. I think it helps the pullets out number the hens 2 to 1.
