Terrible experience merging

[treeowl]

I recently tried to merge my new chicks into my regular flock and to my surprise witnessed the most terrible sight I could have ever imagined, the flock went crazy including my rooster on my little ones, my husband and I immediately raced to their rescue with only one chick suffering an injury. She has a slight limp but no visible wounds, in the confusion one of my older hens suffered more serious injuries including puncture wounds from the roosters spurs and is having extreme trouble walking, we are trying to doctor her and heal her injuries but I am very scared to ever try merging the chicks again, how is the best way to do this, I can't imagine putting my little ones through the stressful and life threatening experience again, please help me to know what to do I am at wits ends trying to figure out what in the world I am going to do.

 

[cackydoodledoo]

Most people will tell you that it's best to put them in an area that is separate but so they can both still see each other. I would try this for a week or two and then try to integrate them again. How old are the younger ones?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock
Here is an informative BYC page- scroll down for adding to flock

What are the ages of your new chicks?

 

[treeowl]

my chicks are seven weeks old

 

[cackydoodledoo]

I think that is way too young to try to merge. They are way smaller and bound to get picked on. I think you should wait until they are quite a bit older. That's just my opinion though.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
I recommend waiting if possible until they are about the same size as the older ones to merge flocks. It is a problem of maturity. They act like babies and the older hens try to kill them.

You can always put them inside a dog crate in the coop or garage at night and rig an extra temporary run for them if you are not set up for two flocks.

 

[columbiacritter]

Mine have been in a run within the main run for a month so all the birds old and new were used to each other long before I started letting them inot supervised contact visits. There was some sparrign and will continue to be until the new peckign order is resolved, but so far it's gone very smoothly.

THe runs are very roomy with lots of obstacles to dodge around if someone is gettign seriously chased.

 

[treeowl]

Unfortunately my older hen that was spurred in the ordeal died last night, I am so upset that I let that happen to her that I don't know if I'll be able to try it again or not. I may just build a coop and run on the other side of the existing one and just let them live together with a fence between them, how in the world do people have babies in a flock, I have always collected my eggs but was wanting to let some try to hatch some babies but now I'm scared to death, any help out there???? My chickens are my pets the same as my dogs and cats, I love them so so much and get so much enjoyment out of them that they are part of my family, I protect them like a mother and since they are animals I lack the instinct and knowledge to raise them like I think I should be, please help me with any advice from people who share the same kind of affection for their pets.

 

[Judy]

I've had several broodies raise their chicks in the flock. At present I have chicks about 4 days old and about 5 weeks old, in with the adults, including roosters. Never had a problem (knock on wood.) Even when a hen rejected her chicks, she only kicked them out of the nest, and I found day olds hiding in the corner of the coop. I brooded in the coop for a fw weeks, then a broody decided they were hers, and is now mothering them with the flock. Well, trying to, the chicks think they're adults.

Actually your idea of a separate coop and run is a great one. I have a pen maybe 5'x6' inside my 11x17 coop which would work great for you. Almost all the time my pen door is propped open.

One more article on integrating (it's not so long if you skip the quarantine stuff)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

 

[darkmatter]

I've been using an "introduction cage" I made out of an old ferret cage for years to introduce my incubated hatchlings to the main flock. This picture is of Keets and Chicks getting used to the Coop and adult birds.