Scared chickens

[Organic Gal]

The way I do this is to allow the chicks to return to my "grow-out coop", similar to your temporary coop, at night to sleep until they have shown they can co-exist with the adults during the day. With my set-up and schedule I have no reason to be in a hurry about this. For some people this would be a pain.

When I'm ready, I wait until after dark and move the chicks to the main coop. I set them on the coop floor and lock the pop door. My main coop is dark enough that they are not going to get attacked overnight. The next morning I'm down there at first light to see what is going on. Usually things are very peaceful, the chicks are usually up on the main roost where the adults on the coop floor can't reach them. I lock the grow-out coop so they can't get back inside.

Sometimes that is all it takes. Sometimes I have to put some or all back in the main coop a few more nights before they all get the message. At dark, those return to the area of my grow-out coop to try to sleep. After dark they are easy to catch.

I have had a few move into the main coop on their own before I start moving them. It's somewhat rare but it has happened. Each brood is different, one time might not go exactly like the last, but with patience and with my set-up it's always been fairly peaceful.

Mine seldom sleep on the main roosts with the adults immediately. If the adults all sleep in a corner of the roosts some may try to sleep in the far corner, but usually my adults spread out on the roosts. I've even seen one hen leave her normal roosting spot to go beat up on the chicks if they try to sleep in that far corner. Each flock is different, you never know how it will go. As long as mine are sleeping in a predator safe area and not in a nest I don't care where they sleep. When they mature enough they'll join the main flock on the main roosts. I let them manage that part of it. My goal is that no one gets injured.

Thanks for the info

 

[Organic Gal]

They may or they may not. When I'm ready to put babies with the adults, I close up the brooder so they can't return to it, and then I scoop them up in the evening and cage them inside the coop.

View attachment 2683797

I continue to do that nightly until they head into the coop themselves and follow the adults onto the roost. My first group of integrated chicks took maybe a week to catch on, the most recent group figured it out in 2 days.

thanks

 

[Organic Gal]

The way I do this is to allow the chicks to return to my "grow-out coop", similar to your temporary coop, at night to sleep until they have shown they can co-exist with the adults during the day. With my set-up and schedule I have no reason to be in a hurry about this. For some people this would be a pain.

When I'm ready, I wait until after dark and move the chicks to the main coop. I set them on the coop floor and lock the pop door. My main coop is dark enough that they are not going to get attacked overnight. The next morning I'm down there at first light to see what is going on. Usually things are very peaceful, the chicks are usually up on the main roost where the adults on the coop floor can't reach them. I lock the grow-out coop so they can't get back inside.

Sometimes that is all it takes. Sometimes I have to put some or all back in the main coop a few more nights before they all get the message. At dark, those return to the area of my grow-out coop to try to sleep. After dark they are easy to catch.

I have had a few move into the main coop on their own before I start moving them. It's somewhat rare but it has happened. Each brood is different, one time might not go exactly like the last, but with patience and with my set-up it's always been fairly peaceful.

Mine seldom sleep on the main roosts with the adults immediately. If the adults all sleep in a corner of the roosts some may try to sleep in the far corner, but usually my adults spread out on the roosts. I've even seen one hen leave her normal roosting spot to go beat up on the chicks if they try to sleep in that far corner. Each flock is different, you never know how it will go. As long as mine are sleeping in a predator safe area and not in a nest I don't care where they sleep. When they mature enough they'll join the main flock on the main roosts. I let them manage that part of it. My goal is that no one gets injured.

So far so good. The littles are venturing out of the run a bit and I have had no issues with the older hens interactions however the littles kind of stay away from them. I noticed that you mentioned that when they mature enough they will join the main flock on the main roost. Mine are currently sleeping in the run on roosts. At what age do you think they will join the main flock in the main coop?