Quick question

[1dog1cat6chicks]

My Easter eggers are now about 8-9 weeks old and have been in their own spot next to the three big girls for a month now.
when they go outside it’s into a small pen so they cannot get back inside without me doing it.

Do you all think it’s ok to start trying to integrate them into the big girls part? Are they old enough? They’ve been over there to explore a couple of times, while the big girls were outside.

Frankly I’m getting weary of transporting them in and out and of course I don’t want to put them out when it’s raining since they have no way to get back inside except for me.
Thoughts?

 

[Mrs. K]

Well you have way more patience than me, and yes, I would have them in the main flock ASAP.

What I would do, is switch them, put your big girls where you have the littles, and let the littles explore the area without being chased. You don't mention numbers, if the littles out number the big girls, I would just let the big girls into the big space late afternoon, if the big girls out number the chicks by a large amount, I would let a couple of hens in with the chicks and see how it goes. If it goes well, let a few more in late afternoon the next day.

Do make sure you have hide outs, roosts, and pallets, clutter that birds can get out of sight with, and set them up so that the littles can get through, and bigs cannot.

Good luck.

 

[azygous]

They're more than ready and capable of handling themselves with the adults. I can say this with such confidence because I have four baby chicks aged four weeks that have been running around mingling with the adult flock of nineteen for two weeks now.

All that baby chicks require in order to be able to safely mingle with the adult flock is a week or two in a safe enclosure adjacent to the big chickens to observe and learn. Then when they are allowed to mingle, it helps to have a safe enclosure to return to when they feel the need. This is accomplished very simply by making chick size openings the adults don't fit through.

Your chicks are of a size close to the adults now, so safety can be provided with vertical escapes such as shelves and high perches in the run. Something as simple as an old card table in the run with the chicks' food and water on it can offer an escape and a place to rest and nap and eat in peace and safety.

 

[1dog1cat6chicks]

To answer Mrs K, I have three adult hens and three little Easter Eggers--so the two 'flocks' are equal.

So a couple more questions--
1. Should I clip the little ones' wings? We don't have a fully enclosed run, we use the Omlet fencing. Don't want them flying over the fence (four feet) and then getting lost!
2. It's not feasible that I switch their places. Outside, the little ones are in a rather small cat playpen (similar to a dog crate) and the big ones just wouldn't fit in there. It's further complicated by the fact that in the inside space, the 'nursery' has no access at all to the outside, and it's rather small too, for three grown hens.
3. If I understand the above comments, should I make the first 'contact' encounters outside? From outside everyone has access to the main part of the coop, where I have the food and water--and nesting boxes.

Thanks for your patience. Obviously this is my first time doing this! We've had chickens for awhile now, but never integrated new ones before.

 

[aart]

Should I clip the little ones' wings?

Not a good idea, they may still be growing out and full of blood.
4' is nothing, might better look at making the run secure.

Post pics of your setup, coop and run.

 

[1dog1cat6chicks]

Thanks for the heads-up on clipping their wings! Didn't know that.
Unfortunately, changing the run isn't really in the realm of possibilities. I know it's not as secure as it might be, but we are using the Omlet fencing for the ability to move the fence--so as to avoid a huge area of mud. This way we have decent looking grass (which is good given where we live, on a cul de sac street of nice homes), and the hens can have 'fresh grass/ground' every couple of weeks.
Here are some pics of our setup. Their run extends behind the one hemlock tree, where there is permanent hard fencing; the Omlet fencing is attached to it on one end and to the coop on the other end. This gives them shade, and they love it. The lower branches are trimmed off, and sometimes they roost in the tree. They also have an old Christmas tree trunk propped up on bricks for roosting.

 

[azygous]

Bird netting is not expensive and it comes in large amounts. I would try stretching some over your little run. It will keep the chicks in and hawks out.

 

[1dog1cat6chicks]

We actually have some netting over the back (permanent) part of the run. Had some on the front part too...until it snowed. Then it caved in and was pulling the fence down. And because we move the fence frequently the netting is a real pain. We have lost two hens to hawks but that’s been over several years time.
May have to revisit the idea now that winter is over, at least till the little ones get too big to easily fly over the fence! Don’t imagine the hubby will be big on the idea though....

 

[Ridgerunner]

I can see your frustration. If you are going to be integrating much in the future I'd suggest building a permanent predator proof shelter. No need to discuss that now unless you have an interest. What you are doing now is too much work.

Do you all think it’s ok to start trying to integrate them into the big girls part? Are they old enough?

We all do these things differently. My brooder is in the coop and my brooder-raised chicks are OK with the adults at 5 weeks. You are not set up like that so you have to do things differently but they are definitely old enough.

I don’t want to put them out when it’s raining since they have no way to get back inside except for me.

Cover the cage with a tarp and leave them out there if rain is your concern. At least during the day.

1. Should I clip the little ones' wings? We don't have a fully enclosed run, we use the Omlet fencing. Don't want them flying over the fence (four feet)

My full sized adults easily fly up to a 5' high roost. I use 4' high electric netting which they could easily fly over if they wanted to. With very few exceptions mine don't. When mine get out is when I have a bunch of cockerels in there. One gets trapped against the fence in one of their fights and can't run away so it goes vertical to escape. It may land on the wrong side of the fence and doesn't know to fly back in. On really rare occasions a hen may do that trying to get away form an amorous rooster.

I learned the hard way to not build sharp corners when I'm setting up that netting. Like yours mine is mobile. A 90 degree corner isn't too bad but anything sharper than that is a good place to trap a chicken. Another mistake I made was to make a narrow corridor leading to a larger area. Like you I had a permanent coop that I had to tie the run back into. Two or three cockerels were getting out every day until I got rid of that narrow strip. So make the area wide.

Your young and old can easily fly over that 4' high fence, the trick is to make it so they don't want to. Since you are integrating it's possible your older hens will chase the young but since they have been side by side for a month and you appear to have enough room that's maybe not highly likely.

and then getting lost! the inside space, the 'nursery' has no access at all to the outside

Since mine are housed there including sleeping in there and they want to be with their buddies they don't wonder off. A bedtime they desperately want to get where they usually sleep. Your nursery is in the coop. They are extremely highly unlikely to wander off and get lost. For the few cockerels that get out I collect them after dark (I know where they are going to sleep, as near their regular sleeping place as they can). Yours may try sleeping in trees, not sure where that would be. Another thought would be to lock all the others in the coop and lure them back in the run with food. Or lock the others in the run and lure or herd it back to the coop.

If I understand the above comments, should I make the first 'contact' encounters outside?

What I would do in your situation after what you have done is to open up that nursery after the three hens are outside and see what happens. That's what I do at five weeks when they have been raised in there. Do it when you can be around to observe and check on them occasionally. You may be surprised how easily that goes.

From outside everyone has access to the main part of the coop, where I have the food and water--and nesting boxes.

I would have separate food and water stations, at least at first. The older sometimes try the bully the younger by hogging the food and water. I'd have at least one station inside the coop and one outside, spread out enough that those hens can't guard them both.

I don't know where those chicks will want to sleep, though probably somewhere in the coop. I really don't care as long as it is somewhere predator safe and not in my nests. I don't try to force mine to sleep on the roosts with the adults, mine don't anyway until they get a lot older.

The first morning or two after I let them all sleep together I'm down there at daylight when they are just waking up to open the pop door so they can get outside for more room if they need it. That's never been a problem but I still do it just in case. I don't see the roosts in your photos so I'm not sure how high they are. With mine, what I normally find is that the adults are on the coop floor while the younger ones are up on the roost where the older can't get to them. They are avoiding the older. During the day they avoid the older too. Mine usually stay two sub-flocks until the younger mature enough to start laying eggs. Then they become one flock.

Good luck and let us know what you do and how it goes. I don't think you are in a bad place.

 

[1dog1cat6chicks]

Ridgerunner, thank you. And everyone else too.

Maybe I'm just overthinking all of this, and hopefully it WILL be much less traumatic than I fear. All I know is, they need to all be together SOON.

Roosts: there are two roosting boards, one higher than the other, at the left end of the coop. Funny story--I went out to shut the door the other night, all the hens were on their roost--the big girls on the top roost, and the little girls on their little roost in their nursery. One of the littles, Esther, was stretching her neck and looking at the big girls, as if to say, "I wonder how I can get up there??"

The weather lately has been very rainy and I don't especially want to sit out there to supervise in the rain!