Tell me it'll be OK**Update**

[noodleroo]

The only chicken that we've lost out there was to an alligator in one of the ponds. Alligators move through from time to time; not permanent residents. The hen liked to play in the shallow water chasing minnows. The rest don't go in the water. The coop is about 8' X 12' with an automatic door and an actual people door. DH built it on a boat trailer so its off the ground, the floor is commercial greenhouse shelving (works great), the walls are coated perch trap wire with plywood about 3 ft. up on the sides. The roof is better than the roof on my house...really. Plenty room for 26 chickens. So other than a daytime predator, the only thing I'm really worried about is them getting along and not hurting each other. If something does get one of them free ranging, thats just how it is. We do the best we can to keep um safe the rest of the time...

 

[noodleroo]

Update: DH put the 8 wk olds with the rest of the chickens on the roosts with them last night. He was there before daybreak this morning to supervise and everything went OK. The automatic door opened, the grown chickens started walking out followed by my BOs and SLWs just like they had done it their whole life! They free ranged all day today and we'll make sure they are put safely away this evening too. Just thought I'd let everybody know how its going...

 

[BonnieJean]

That's great!! Keep us posted

 

[noodleroo]

New Update: They are doing fine. I went out to watch them go to roost last night. Got there about 15 minutes before dark and they were ALL in the coop and jockeying for position on the roosts. I didn't get out of my vehicle because the babies would have come running to me so I just sat in the car and listened. No screams, no 'help, shes killing me!' calls, just regular chicken talk and chirps. By the time the automatic door closed, all were in position on the top roosts, big ones right next to little ones and all was well. I don't know if we were just lucky with mingling them this way and so soon, but it has all worked out. I took 'em treats this morning and the little ones do know that they are NOT in charge. They sort of stick to their separate groups but when they do mingle, there is no pecking or feather pulling. I guess they have worked out the pecking order and life is good. Thanks to all that advised me. You did make me feel better about the whole thing...

 

[mamabigbird]

We are approaching the time for integration too, and it is a worry, eh? They're almost 4 weeks now, so still a bit of time to figure it all out. Our run attached to the coop used to be the dog run years ago and has two gates. One is right by the coop door and the other is at the far end. We are going to run some wire to bysect the run and build a temporary mini coop for the younguns with the far gate for our access to them. We'll still be able to use the closer gate to get to the big coop and to let the big girls out to free range. Hopefully they'll be able to get used to each other visually and then we'll take down the temp fencing after a week or so and let them co-mingle compatably I hope. Right now we bring the little ones out onto the grass in their brooder cage on nice days so the the big ones can walk up and see them. It's still too cold up here in the Northwest to bring them out most days but nice today for a change. About 70'F.