This won’t work will it?

[chicChickChick]

I have three grown hens. Integrating another twelve 9 weekers as soon as the Chick Mansion is built.

5/6!bantams we purchased are Roos!!! Several will be given away, leaving room for a couple more hens, because chicken math. We’d be down to one bantam pullet and two bantam Roos

Could I get another 5 bantam chicks and integrate them to the flock when they get older? Or will the combination of small size and being younger than the rest be a disaster?

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Hello!

It can definitely be done, however I would just wait a little while longer to integrate them into the flock than you would with other standard sized hens. When you think they’re about ready, put them in an enclosed cage inside the coop where the others can see but not hurt them. After a couple weeks, let them out every day for a few hours while supervising. Gradually extend the length of these “visits” until you feel they are ready to stay together 24/7.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hello!

It can definitely be done, however I would just wait a little while longer to integrate them into the flock than you would with other standard sized hens. When you think they’re about ready, put them in an enclosed cage inside the coop where the others can see but not hurt them. After a couple weeks, let them out every day for a few hours while supervising. Gradually extend the length of these “visits” until you feel they are ready to stay together 24/7.

Hi, Clover. I've heard of this method of integrating, but I don't really understand how it works. Maybe it has to do with the size of the coop and/or run ...? If I let my littles out to run with my flock, I would never be able to gather them up again after a few hours!
What I do is this. Our grow-out pen is next to the big flock's run, which is quite large. Maybe half the size of a football field? We put the littles in the grow-out pen when they are three weeks old. They are now almost eight weeks old and are well acquainted with the big girls in this "see-no-touch" arrangement. Any day now we will just open the gate that separates them,* and that's it - integration complete. Neither the big girls nor the littles will even notice that there is suddenly no barrier between them. We've integrated several generations of littles this way over the last ten years and never had any issues. No pecking, chasing or bullying.

*First I have to choose which of the older birds are going in the freezer; I have no room on the roosts for six younger birds unless I thin the ranks. Sigh. Chicken math requires subtraction as well as addition.

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Hey, @BigBlueHen53! Your method of integration sounds so simple and easy! I’d love to be able to do it like that, however I do not have nearly the amount of space that you have, nor do I have very many hiding/sheltering places for the younger birds to escape the older chickens’ dominance-establishing pecks and scuffles. The technique I use allows me to safely incorporate new additions to my flock, and even though it is still slower and requires more work, it is, in my opinion, the best way for me personally.

Why do you have to get rid of your older hens? You obviously don’t seem very happy to do that…could you perhaps add some more roosting space?

 

[BastyPutt]

Hi, Clover. I've heard of this method of integrating, but I don't really understand how it works. Maybe it has to do with the size of the coop and/or run ...? If I let my littles out to run with my flock, I would never be able to gather them up again after a few hours!
What I do is this. Our grow-out pen is next to the big flock's run, which is quite large. Maybe half the size of a football field? We put the littles in the grow-out pen when they are three weeks old. They are now almost eight weeks old and are well acquainted with the big girls in this "see-no-touch" arrangement. Any day now we will just open the gate that separates them,* and that's it - integration complete. Neither the big girls nor the littles will even notice that there is suddenly no barrier between them. We've integrated several generations of littles this way over the last ten years and never had any issues. No pecking, chasing or bullying.

*First I have to choose which of the older birds are going in the freezer; I have no room on the roosts for six younger birds unless I thin the ranks. Sigh. Chicken math requires subtraction as well as addition.

Exactly this - we have the two separated with wire weld 4x2 fencing.

I have always found there is strength in numbers in terms of safety. The Little's will always stay in a pack for the first week or so, and protect themselves as a group. Just make sure you are opening the coop a little earlier than normal - any confined loitering takes away their advantage.