Redinator's First Hatch-Along w Bonus Broody: And Everything Thereafter

[ChickenChick46]

I'll hear my cockerels do a "caw" warning and it'll be a dragonfly. I'm like, "You could catch that and eat it, ya know." They look at me like I'm speaking a funny language.

Yes exactly! I'm like, that's not a big butterfly, just eat it. Rilla was thoroughly disgusted by the lovebugs I tossed in there with them though.

 

[redinator]

Yes exactly! I'm like, that's not a big butterfly, just eat it. Rilla was thoroughly disgusted by the lovebugs I tossed in there with them though.

My first batch, the one Sweety was in, nearly had heart attacks when I tossed a few earthworms in their run when they were about 4 weeks old.

The current 8 and 9 week olds were digging up their own and fighting over them at the same age.

 

[ChickenChick46]

My first batch, the one Sweety was in, nearly had heart attacks when I tossed a few earthworms in their run when they were about 4 weeks old.

The current 8 and 9 week olds were digging up their own and fighting over them at the same age.

They're all so different.

 

[redinator]

So I have a completely crazy idea, that might just work. Bare with me because this will be lengthy.

I moved the 8 and 9 week olds to their new run, which means the 9x18 run is currently unoccupied.

The 9 older birds have been roosting on the stair railing near the henhouse since Sweety has been sitting on eggs (yes it's a mess, but I don't mind since they were keeping her company).

I have this 'chick hut': https://a.co/d/hoCPYoP
and two of these 'chick pens' https://a.co/d/1BrM86f

I usually use them all connected end to end to integrate chicks and it works really well.

I'm thinking I can use this setup with a bit of hardware cloth between the two pens. One side will have Sweety and her brood, the other will have the incubator chicks. Since the incubator chicks won't have access to Sweety, initially, they'll get the end with the chick hut. All of this will be under the cover of the 9x18ft run. It will look a bit like this:



These are pictures of how it was set up a few months back, but I'll get new pictures tomorrow when I reset everything.

Here's my thinking; if I setup feeders and waterers on either side of the divider and they all can eat in close proximity and the older chicks aren't able to harm her chicks, and she can't harm them she might just accept their presence, even if she doesn't completely adopt them.

If I see behaviors like her calling to the older chicks, or sleeping near the divider to try to provide them warmth then I might try letting her in the run with all the chicks and see what happens . . .supervising the whole time of course. While I'm doing this all the other chickens will be outside the run, so they can't interfere.

I figure, worse case scenario, I'll have already started integrating the incubator chicks and keep them in the pen until they're about 4 weeks olds. (That's the youngest I'm comfortable putting young chicks in the same space with the older birds if they don't have a hen protecting them)

I'm also hoping if the older birds see the incubator chicks "in" the pen with her, they'll assume they're hers (which most are, but you know what I mean)

Ok, I'm rambling . . . and I'm not sure much of this makes sense, but I'd like to her y'alls thoughts. Is this idea crazy enough that it just might work?

ETA: Another 'worse case scenario' option; I could move one of the chick pens and the hut to the run with 8 and 9 week olds and integrate the incubator chicks with them.

 

[ChickenChick46]

So I have a completely crazy idea, that might just work. Bare with me because this will be lengthy.

I moved the 8 and 9 week olds to their new run, which means the 9x18 run is currently unoccupied.

The 9 older birds have been roosting on the stair railing near the henhouse since Sweety has been sitting on eggs (yes it's a mess, but I don't mind since they were keeping her company).

I have this 'chick hut': https://a.co/d/hoCPYoP
and two of these 'chick pens' https://a.co/d/1BrM86f

I usually use them all connected end to end to integrate chicks and it works really well.

I'm thinking I can use this setup with a bit of hardware cloth between the two pens. One side will have Sweety and her brood, the other will have the incubator chicks. Since the incubator chicks won't have access to Sweety, initially, they'll get the end with the chick hut. All of this will be under the cover of the 9x18ft run. It will look a bit like this:

View attachment 4210849
View attachment 4210847
These are pictures of how it was set up a few months back, but I'll get new pictures tomorrow when I reset everything.

Here's my thinking; if I setup feeders and waterers on either side of the divider and they all can eat in close proximity and the older chicks aren't able to harm her chicks, and she can't harm them she might just accept their presence, even if she doesn't completely adopt them.

If I see behaviors like her calling to the older chicks, or sleeping near the divider to try to provide them warmth then I might try letting her in the run with all the chicks and see what happens . . .supervising the whole time of course. While I'm doing this all the other chickens will be outside the run, so they can't interfere.

I figure, worse case scenario, I'll have already started integrating the incubator chicks and keep them in the pen until they're about 4 weeks olds. (That's the youngest I'm comfortable putting young chicks in the same space with the older birds if they don't have a hen protecting them)

I'm also hoping if the older birds see the incubator chicks "in" the pen with her, they'll assume they're hers (which most are, but you know what I mean)

Ok, I'm rambling . . . and I'm not sure much of this makes sense, but I'd like to her y'alls thoughts. Is this idea crazy enough that it just might work?

ETA: Another 'worse case scenario' option; I could move one of the chick pens and the hut to the run with 8 and 9 week olds and integrate the incubator chicks with them.

I think it sounds like it might work. It also sounds like everyone will be safe, so there is no harm in trying. It seems like your runs and huts can be moved around some as needed, so if the setup just doesn't seem to be working, you can redo the layout and try again. I say go for it.

 

[TwoCrows]

So I have a completely crazy idea, that might just work. Bare with me because this will be lengthy.

I moved the 8 and 9 week olds to their new run, which means the 9x18 run is currently unoccupied.

The 9 older birds have been roosting on the stair railing near the henhouse since Sweety has been sitting on eggs (yes it's a mess, but I don't mind since they were keeping her company).

I have this 'chick hut': https://a.co/d/hoCPYoP
and two of these 'chick pens' https://a.co/d/1BrM86f

I usually use them all connected end to end to integrate chicks and it works really well.

I'm thinking I can use this setup with a bit of hardware cloth between the two pens. One side will have Sweety and her brood, the other will have the incubator chicks. Since the incubator chicks won't have access to Sweety, initially, they'll get the end with the chick hut. All of this will be under the cover of the 9x18ft run. It will look a bit like this:

View attachment 4210849
View attachment 4210847
These are pictures of how it was set up a few months back, but I'll get new pictures tomorrow when I reset everything.

Here's my thinking; if I setup feeders and waterers on either side of the divider and they all can eat in close proximity and the older chicks aren't able to harm her chicks, and she can't harm them she might just accept their presence, even if she doesn't completely adopt them.

If I see behaviors like her calling to the older chicks, or sleeping near the divider to try to provide them warmth then I might try letting her in the run with all the chicks and see what happens . . .supervising the whole time of course. While I'm doing this all the other chickens will be outside the run, so they can't interfere.

I figure, worse case scenario, I'll have already started integrating the incubator chicks and keep them in the pen until they're about 4 weeks olds. (That's the youngest I'm comfortable putting young chicks in the same space with the older birds if they don't have a hen protecting them)

I'm also hoping if the older birds see the incubator chicks "in" the pen with her, they'll assume they're hers (which most are, but you know what I mean)

Ok, I'm rambling . . . and I'm not sure much of this makes sense, but I'd like to her y'alls thoughts. Is this idea crazy enough that it just might work?

ETA: Another 'worse case scenario' option; I could move one of the chick pens and the hut to the run with 8 and 9 week olds and integrate the incubator chicks with them.

I agree, I think this definitely might work. Every flock and bird is different but it never hurts to try. Nice set up by the way!

 

[redinator]

I agree, I think this definitely might work. Every flock and bird is different but it never hurts to try. Nice set up by the way!

Thanks! I love the pens. I've used them for everything from separating males while they were top-notch hormonal, integrating chicks and giving a pullet or two a break from the boys. The only problem I have is the gate to the run is very narrow, so I have to disassemble the pens and hut everytime I move things around.

 

[TwoCrows]

Thanks! I love the pens. I've used them for everything from separating males while they were top-notch hormonal, integrating chicks and giving a pullet or two a break from the boys. The only problem I have is the gate to the run is very narrow, so I have to disassemble the pens and hut everytime I move things around.

It's always nice to have extra areas for separating birds, chicks and young birds or even hospital areas.

 

[ChickenChick46]

Thanks! I love the pens. I've used them for everything from separating males while they were top-notch hormonal, integrating chicks and giving a pullet or two a break from the boys. The only problem I have is the gate to the run is very narrow, so I have to disassemble the pens and hut everytime I move things around.

Ugh yeah that does not sound like fun.

 

[redinator]

The last three days I've been dealing with two severe cases of pasty butt. The two chicks that continually seem to have this problem are Oreo and Dutch, they both have very fluffy bottoms and the poop just kept getting stuck in their down.

After reading several threads just saying to use warm water to remove it I came across one that mentioned using olive oil to prevent it from getting stuck again. I believe it also mentioned using olive oil on feather-legged chicks to prevent poop from getting stuck there, too (or I might be ad libbing).

This is the first morning I didn't have to clean poopy butts, so I guess it worked.