Putting all my chicks in one basket!

[Charlies Angels 2020]

I have 4 RIR/Cooper Marans that are 4 months old. I also ave 4 other chicks (2 buff and 2 red sex links), they are 3 months old. I have the RIR/BCM in a coop with a small pen. I have the 3 months old in a temporary pen in the shop. They all free range all day, and retire to their own places at sundown. However, during the day they will get in the same proximity but never interact. The younger ones seem to be afraid of the older ones. They are nearly the same size now. How do i get my younger ones out of their temporary housing and merge them with the older ones in the coop?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They won't merge into a more cohesive flock until after all of them are mature. Even than most will continue to hang out with who they were raised with. Your older chicks are dominant, so the younger ones will stay away as they should.

 

[CrazychickenladySandie]

I just merged my chickens (6 yrs, 5
6 months & 4 months). We put all birds in adjacent pens for a few weeks. We allowed all to free range during the day together. Mine did the same thing yours are doing. They returned to their own area at night. After a couple weeks I combined all the chickens in the large coop at night. It went beautifully. If you can, provide multiple feeders & waters so everyone has a chance to eat. Of course they will still establish a pecking order. Lol.

Good luck.

 

[Charlies Angels 2020]

They won't merge into a more cohesive flock until after all of them are mature. Even than most will continue to hang out with who they were raised with. Your older chicks are dominant, so the younger ones will stay away as they should.

Are you suggesting that I not put them in the same coop? I only have one coop and really need to move them out of the shop.

 

[aart]

Are you suggesting that I not put them in the same coop? I only have one coop and really need to move them out of the shop.

They might be able to live in the same coop,
but may not merge into a single flock until they all mature and start laying.

How big is the coop, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.


Here's some tips about.....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Charlies Angels 2020]

They might be able to live in the same coop,
but may not merge into a single flock until they all mature and start laying.

How big is the coop, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.


Here's some tips about.....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

This helps alot. I just want them to be in the same coop at night. They are all out all day long. The bigger birds seem to be more tolerant of the smaller ones at this point. So maybe there is hope.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Are you suggesting that I not put them in the same coop? I only have one coop and really need to move them out of the shop.

No keep them together, but expect them to stay separately for a long while yet.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My definition of a successful integration is that none get hurt. Sounds like you managed that part. The next step is to get them into one happy flock. That will happen but it usually takes time. By the way, the behavior you described sounds really common.

More mature chickens outrank less mature chickens until they all mature to a point. With my pullets that is typically when the younger ones start to lay. Until them the more mature are likely to peck the less mature if their personal space is violated. So the younger ones typically quickly learn to avoid the older ones. The form a sub-flock, coexist but stay out of the way. Yours are doing this during the day.

Now you want them to sleep together in the same coop. How big is that coop in feet (or meters since I don't know here you are). What does it look like inside. Photos could help. My pullets will not sleep on the main roosts with the older ones until they mature enough. My coop is big enough and has lots of other options so they can find places to sleep. I personally don't care where they sleep as long as it is not in my nests and is someplace predator safe. I integrate so many juveniles that I built a juvenile roost, lower than the main roosts, horizontally separated, and higher than the nests. Works great but I don't know if you have room for that or if you need it. Yours aren't that far apart in age, that might work out for you.

The way I get chicks that sleep separately but have been free ranging with the others for a while is to wait until dark and lock them in the main coop. I just toss them on the coop floor, they'll work things out from there. It's dark enough in there that the others can't see them to attack until daylight. If they sleep on the floor, fine. That's not in my nests and is predator safe. I lock their old coop up so they cannot go back in there. Sometimes I only have to do that once and they put themselves to bed in the new coop the first night. Sometimes they go back to their old cop area to sleep. After dark when they are easy to catch I lock them back in the main coop. Be consistent, they will get the message.

When I first do that I'm down there at daybreak to open the pop door and let them out in case the older ones try to beat them up. My main coop is big enough with enough hiding places that I've never had to do that more than two mornings to be sure they are safe locked in there together. I don't know what your main coop looks like so I don't have a clue how yours will react. It's pretty common when I go down there after they have been awake a while for the juveniles to be up on the roosts while older ones are on the coop floor. They are avoiding the older ones. My roosts are five feet high so they are well away from the older ones.

Sometimes this is so easy you wonder what all the worry was. Sometimes it ends badly. I wish you good luck!

 

[Charlies Angels 2020]

I put my chicks in the coop at night for the past 5 nights. They are finally all roosting overnight! They don't "hang out". But it went a lot better than expected!
Thanks everyone!

 

[ladybrasa]

I stopped in to see pics of chicks in baskets!!

Glad things are working out!