So worried.....

[chickengal30]

I need some advise please.

I have four nine month old girls, I added two five week olds to their run (in a separate pen for their protection). Last weekend I put them all together, and its still not going well.

The little girls are eleven weeks old now but spend the day up on the roosts, and the nights in the egg box to keep away from the others who chase them

if they can.

Should I close the door to the coop so forse them all together or just hope they make friends. I feel terrible for the little ones,

all day on the roosts cant be fun.

Whadda you think??? Thankyou.

 

[HollyBird24]

11 weeks is too young to add chicks to a grown flock.

 

[clairabean]

Quote:
I disagree.

If the chicks are not being beat on, then let them sort it out. Do not try to force them, but just let them be. It is the pecking order to have the littles down. As long as the littles get to eat fine, then it will work out.

 

[chickengal30]

Thankyou Clairabean.

There not getting beat up, pecked a little, but nothing terrible, and Ive made sure they have there own food and water nearby. Its just kinda sad, how long on average/roughly does it take to be one big happy family?

Thanks again!

 

[kari_dawn]

it really depends...when I first do my intros, I always give the newbies their own pen within the coop so the originals can get used to the idea of passively seeing new birds. After a couple of weeks, I open the door. It still takes several weeks for them to all meld as a single flock though.

 

[HHandbasket]

This is why I prefer using broody hens to raise the chicks and integrate them into the flock FOR me. Unfortunately, I can't always do that, as we have eggs in the bator now that are set to hatch January 3rd/4th. Those chicks will have to be integrated into the flock, but I usually do it at about 10-12 weeks. I start by putting them in a separate pen (usually the A-Frame) in the middle of the yard where the other chickens can see them & they can see the other chickens, but there's chicken wire between them so there's no real violence while they're getting acquainted. After a couple of weeks, I open the A-frame during the day, and by then everybody knows each other & the integration usually (knock on wood LOL) goes well.

 

[JakRat]

I just posted a similar thing in another section... no responses though, but this is what mine are going through

I just got 2 of the sweetest 2 month olds... they are THE best chicks I have ever had and are so sweet loving and well behaved.

Problem is is that I already have 4 older hens and a banty rooster. I only have one coop so I cannot just separate them and what not to get used to each other. Last week I did just toss them in the coop and while a few of the girls did "mommy" pecking, one of my barred rocks just picked one up by her neck and shook it! Poor little thing now has a hole in her head (dont worry it is healing up just fine). Now my barred rocks are jerks... I have disliked them since like day 5... My questions is this : Should I get rid of the barred rocks and get to hens and just put them all together and let them re hatch out their pecking order? I was thinking of asking a local chicken friend if he would want to trade since his have run of his property and dont really need to worry about a coop situation...

I was thinking about getting rid of them and bringing in two hens and then just having them all hatch it out. I am hoping to get 2 docile hens to see if that helps.

 

[Lindz]

I got 2 baby Silkies a few months ago, i put them in the cage and in the coop. None of the others bother her anymore. I lost one last week, something got in the coop. But Ive been debating weather or not to release her yet. I think I may keep her in the cage untill she gets to be to big for it. She has her own seprate water and food so she wont be deprived. I would recommend that. When I brought home our EE's and they were big enough to put in the coop I just put them in, it took a few days for them to get the pecking order down but there wasn't ever any problems. Same thing when I brought home 3 new layers.

 

[HollyBird24]

Quote:
I disagree.

If the chicks are not being beat on, then let them sort it out. Do not try to force them, but just let them be. It is the pecking order to have the littles down. As long as the littles get to eat fine, then it will work out.

The OP said that the younger birds spend their days up on the roosts hiding from the other birds, I'm assuming this means that they aren't getting to eat

 

[chickengal30]

Ive been watching them, and they are getting enough to eat and drink. I also give them veggies/treats etc apart from the big girls - oh and they free range for an hour or so a day.

Thanks