Topic of the Week - Integrating Chicks into an Adult Flock

[Melissa Sakata]

That won't make much of a difference, no. 

Thank you so much! I learn so much from BYC!

 

[wingedshade]

Excellent! This post came at a good time since my younger birds are getting too crowded. The coop has got a small screened area separating the two groups, but I'm not sure if that is enough for a good line of sight.
The outdoor area is almost done, so my plan is to introduce the younger group to the pen first. Then toss the older ones out of the coop and into the yard with the others. While they are all outside I will install the new roost in the coop! Hopefully that will throw the older birds for enough of a loop that they don't get overly territorial. My older group is from a batch I hatched in mid May and the younger ones I bought in early June. They have a bit over a size difference and in my hatched group I have several feisty roos!

 

[AllynTal]

I have very much enjoyed reading the different experiences people have; and yes, it is very much dependent on each situation. I brooder mine right in the big coop as soon as they come out of the incubator. I use a heating pad instead of a brooder lamp so there's no disruption in the coop. The brooder box has wire mesh sides, so the older chickens can see them. The chicks also have their own nursery run so they can be outside alongside the older chickens and everyone can see and be seen, but no touch.










At three to four weeks of age, I'll open a door on the nursery run so the chicks can mingle, but have an escape. If things go smoothly, I'll open a door on the brooder box and let them explore the coop. Once I'm satisfied that they can safely get up and down from the coop doorway (That's not the pop door. That's the human door, but it's left open during the day), and all interactions are going well, I'll remove the brooder box and nursery run altogether.

 

[SueT]

I just integrated a pair of 12 week old pullets with a pair of year old hens. I had the coop and the run divided until yesterday. I was quite anxious about putting them together as the hens would try to attack the youngsters through the fence. But I decided to go for it and although there was a lot of initial chasing and feather pulling, there was also a significant amount of ignoring. I followed this advice from BYC forums-"as long as there's no blood, let them work it out." And so they did.
The hens can move the pullets by merely looking at them. The pullets have to keep on their toes, but they help each other look out. It's interesting to watch.



edit---they spent 2 months living together in divided coop and run. I felt the chicks were plenty big enough at this point to withstand a few blows and figure out the rules. There are two feeders, two waterers, various roost options. I am giving everyone all-flock feed. There is grass to eat and today they got some watermelon, and some scratch feed as well. There is oyster shell for the hens, and grit for everyone, all sprinkled on the ground.

 

[AllynTal]

After posting earlier, I decided today was as good a day as any to let the chicks out into the big world for a little while. Rather than open a door, we raised the nursery run enclosure so the chicks could come and go, but the chickens couldn't enter.





It was all rather uneventful. There were a few pecks, but nothing serious. There was quite a bit of chasing, but it was posturing and didn't seem at all aggressive. They'd already been living side-by-side for 24 days, so this was nuttin' but a thang.

How old should chicks be when they are integrated into an adult flock? Too many variables to consider to make a statement. For me, they get broodered inside the big coop where everyone can see and be seen, so the answer for me is about 3 weeks. Integration starts the day after they're hatched.

Are they too small to be integrated? Do they need to be a similar size to the older chickens? I agree with others that said that the younger the new birds, the easier the integration. When they're small, they are no threat to the pecking order, no threat to existing relationships, and no threat the hierarchy of the flock.

What is the best way to introduce chicks to the rest of the flock? Definitely the "panic room" set up. If the chicks have a 'safe' place to get in away from the older chickens, it definitely helps the integration process.

What / how do you feed a flock of mixed ages after integration? I'll feed everyone chick starter. It has higher protein than layer feed so the roosters benefit as well as the littles. Then offer oyster shell in a separate feeder so the layers can get the calcium they need. There's no need to get fancy with the feed, trying to keep separate feeders and such.

 

[madchuck]

reading all this with interest. Have been having a flock expansion this last 4 months as my new partner found he really liked chickens. Have introduced same size older birds without any problems -they were all mostly ex battery hens people were giving away. We have hatched some though.The 1st 7 are 10wks and about a month ago I was give 2 pullets mix age put them in thier run and they was some pecking/bullying but they survived.They are about to be moved into a new house and run within the main flock run.I dont plan to let them together for a couple of months but that might change if over crowding becomes an issue.My 2nd lot were a poor hatch only 3 out of 24 and 1 of them died within 24hrs. So I got 3 slightly older chicks[3days?] from a friends broody and mixed them.I now have 5 healthy chicks of 5wks old.They are stopping at home in the garden till spring so as adults I wont be expecting any trouble.I am hoping 1 of these will be a broody to hatch her own so was interested in the" let her do it "part of the discussion. I hope it all works out for everyone

 

[Shezadandy]

I just got done integrating a group of 8 brooder raised chicks at 17 weeks of age, "teenagers". Two are cockerels and six are pullets. My brooder is inside so they were not raised near the flock in my situation. The existing flock consisted of 10 layers and 4 broody raised chicks. One of the layers went broody after our mail-order chicks arrived so she got some eggs to hatch- if I'd known she would go broody at 7 months I wouldn't have done the hatchery order- sooo much nicer dealing with broody raised chicks. Anyways...

For 3 weeks I put the teenagers in a run next to the main flock, and they had 30 feet of shared fence. The through the fence interactions went well- everyone was smart enough to know there was no way to touch so they didn't waste much energy. Unfortunately I'm still working on my grow-out coop so the teenagers got carried in and out everyday.

Those first couple of weeks the teenagers would scram when the layers got their treats, running as far away as possible. Finally they stayed put, unfazed by the feeding frenzy and that was a signal they were ready to try being together.

Because one of the cockerels was starting to torment his same-age pullets, I put him in the main flock first. At this point he was more than able to defend himself and get away, and of course had the size advantage on most of the big girls. He took some licks but there was no blood drawn and he soon took to hiding in the coop, in the nest boxes during the day. Well, there was a little blood- mostly because he scraped his comb against the hardware cloth stuffing his head in the corner that first day before he figured out how to get into the coop.

Last week the perfect day came about. All the layers were done laying in the first half of the day and everything was nice and calm- so I put them all together.

I firmly believe that things went as well as they did because of the 2nd cockerel. There were a few little fights here and there but nothing unreasonable- the 2nd cockerel defended the pullets, who did take some pecks- but any confrontations were over in 20 seconds, and nobody bled a single drop. In what I'm sure is the exception and not the rule, they stayed in the coop as one group that first night. The coop is large and it has separated (but not fenced off) roosting areas several feet apart so they're taking roosts that have never been used by the main flock, which takes pressure off the situation.

The chicken run is big and it is L-shaped, so it's easy for the different sub-flocks (layers, teenagers, 8 week old broody raised chicks) to maneuver out of sight-lines, and naturally there are multiple food and watering stations at opposite ends so any given group has access to resources without pressure from the other. My coop is in deep shade in the morning, so it's functionally dark in there until I turn the lights on and/or the automatic door opens which means a stampede of layers. If it was bright in the morning I suspect there would have been more issues in the early morning confined coop hours before the run is open.

The first cockerel continued to hide for another couple days but is now back with his group - out and about trying to learn his ... trade ... on same age pullets and a couple of the low ranking layers. There are lots of screams from the neck grabbing but no injuries. The cockerels get along quite well- so the worry now is if they team up on the hens- if they do they'll either get separated from the girls or one will either be sold or freezer camped. For now they're supervised. The integration came at a good time for the broody chicks because the 8 week old cockerel was starting to get a little big for his britches with his hatch-mates. Having teenager cockerels and pullets bossing him about is proving to be a good thing- he's already 3lbs at 8 weeks, twice the size of the teenager cockerels at the same age.

Without the 2nd cockerel I suspect this wouldn't have gone as smoothly. There are a couple bully/guard-dog hens that have no problem teaming up on newcomers - had it just been the pullets, I fear this dynamic would have been considerably more challenging. Those two get a lot of respect and avoidance from all members of the flock, a wide berth from the 8 week olds, and they're the main reason I chose to wait until the teenagers were about the same size. The other unusual variable was the arrival of the broody raised chicks, so I also had to consider their size and ability to fend off newcomers- the broody started weaning them around 3-4 weeks old when they would have been easy targets.

Feed wise, the brooder chicks were on starter and the main flock got switched to flock raiser when the broody chicks hatched. All are now on flock raiser- once the broody raised chicks reach the appropriate age I'll try all flock.

 

[sjturner79]

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  [COLOR=323333]
• How old should chicks be when they are integrated into an adult flock?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=323333]I brood my chicks in the run from day one. They are accepted by the flock as members from then on. Back when I brooded indoors, I began bringing them out on day trips at age two weeks. They are in their own safe pen with small mesh fencing around the lower part to keep tiny heads from poking through and an adult from inflicting injuries.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=323333]During these first couple weeks, the chicks are taking in information about the adult individuals, learning temperaments and ranks. By age two to three weeks, I then open portals into the main run so the chicks can mingle. This system I dubbed the "panic room", and the chicks learn quickly to retreat back through the portals, which are chick size, to find safety when an adult acts threatening.[/COLOR]

• 
  [COLOR=323333]
• Are they too small to be integrated? Do they need to be a similar size to the older chickens?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=323333]I don't believe chicks are necessarily too small to be integrated as they are inexperienced. Chicks are much too trusting and naive for their first two weeks, instinctively following and crowding under adult hens. This can get them painfully pecked or even killed. They need to get past that initial vulnerability before they mingle with the adults. Through observation, I've learned they're usually past that stage around two weeks of age and can fully appreciate the dangers inherent in adult chickens.[/COLOR]

• 
  [COLOR=323333]
• What is the best way to introduce chicks to the rest of the flock?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=323333]The best way to introduce the chicks to the flock is to brood them alongside in a safe pen from the start, then integrate using the panic room method. If brooded indoors, I recommend day trips to the run, length of trip dependent on age and heat needs, to get them and the adult flock familiarized.[/COLOR]

• 
  [COLOR=323333]
• What / how do you feed a flock of mixed ages after integration?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=323333]I don't feed layer formula at all. Ever. I use an all flock feed, ferment it, and provide oyster shell free-choice. However, the chicks are fed inside their safe pen until they no longer fit through the portals around three months. At present, my three-month old chicks no longer have their panic room, but I've provided a table for them to hang out on and their food is on top so they aren't bullied from getting enough to eat. In another month, they will be the same size as the adults, so they will then be on their own.[/COLOR]

I use similar methods . Indoor brooded chicks get moved out to the run as soon as they get wing feathers.
Outdoor brooded chicks are in the coop from 12 hours old.
I am lucky in that I've always had at least 1 rooster that will adopt and raise any new babies around.
For feed, I will always feed either a free range grain mix or something like duck finisher or game bird maintain if I have more than 5 non laying birds in the flock, including roosters, or hens that are on break for whatever reason.

 

[sumi]

It's chick integration day here as it happens. I have 3 older hens free ranging in the backyard with 4 youngsters, aged roughly 3 months. In the outside baby pen, I had 3 5-week old chicks and a 3-month old that nearly died 4 weeks ago and got put in the brooder to recover. She loved the chicks and ended up staying with them. I let the littlest ones out about 30 minutes ago and so far so good, I am hearing the odd complaining chirp from a pecked chick, but the older ones are not overly interested in them and things are mostly peaceful out there. The month-old chicks have been going outside during the day for the last 3 weeks, so the older chickens got used to seeing them out there.

Feed-wise, my youngsters have shown no interest in the hens' layer pellets, so I've been feeding them all in separate feeders, layer feed in one, chick starter (can't get grower locally) in another 2 feeders. The hens love the chicks' feed, but have been taking what they need from the layer feeder as well.

 

[sumi]

Excellent! This post came at a good time since my younger birds are getting too crowded. The coop has got a small screened area separating the two groups, but I'm not sure if that is enough for a good line of sight.
The outdoor area is almost done, so my plan is to introduce the younger group to the pen first. Then toss the older ones out of the coop and into the yard with the others. While they are all outside I will install the new roost in the coop! Hopefully that will throw the older birds for enough of a loop that they don't get overly territorial. My older group is from a batch I hatched in mid May and the younger ones I bought in early June. They have a bit over a size difference and in my hatched group I have several feisty roos!

You must keep an eye on the boys… They can get troublesome when the hormones kick in.

Installing a new roost with the new birds is a good idea! I found making some changes in the coop and yard when I introduce new birds helps take the attention a bit off the newcomers, especially if the changes are "good" ones