Topic of the Week - Integrating Chicks into an Adult Flock

[melishkia]

I free range my hens, not sure if that makes a difference.
I left mine in a large wire dog crate right next to the coop until they were too big for comfort in it, then just one day let them out. I watched for a little bit and everyone pecked the babies once and then went on with their business. Surprisingly, the rooster was the most gentle thing with the babies. He walked over to them and started scratching/pecking the ground around them as if he was showing them how to forage. He never pecked the babies, just gathered them around him and then he went on with his manly business.
The babies stayed close to the coop for a couple days and all was well from then on. I continued to lock up the babies in the large crate until they willingly chose to move into the coop. Usually my chicks are still peeping, full feathered, and rather small for integrating compared to everything I have read on BYC. Integrating has never been a problem for us.

 

[wingedshade]

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

That is what I have in mind.
Yes, the boys are already chasing the pullets that are in with them. They started crowing literally the moment I brought the chicks from the house to the coop! I actually hope I can find homes for at least one of them since in the younger birds there are two that look like they might be roosters also.

 

[Kayana]

I agree with sumi, integration should be done slowly when chicks are ready to be outside I suggest keeping them within sight but in a separate pin so that the adults can get used to them without any harm coming to the little ones. Waiting a few months is ideally smart and as the time gets closer I think it would be okay to let the little ones out for supervised play time with the adults. When I got new chicks and they were old enough I would do this very thing and have always had good results. Changing the scenery is also a great way to integrate, as the new changes will reastablish the pecking order and allows the newcomers a chance to not be the center of attention.

 

[sumi]

My little ones did o.k. on their first proper outing today, but after about 3 hours they started hiding and complaining a bit, so I put them back in their day pen. I think the massive new space, being amongst the bigger birds and getting chased around a bit by them was too exiting for them lol I'm going to let them loose for a longer period tomorrow, so they can get used to things. The older birds were mostly great with them. The hens ignored them and only the youngsters messed with them a little.

 

[callisto]

I have cats that have learned to leave the chickens alone. We free range during the day and are rebuilding our pens. We do have a secure boundary fence around the coop. Right now I have no way to keep the chicks away from my cats or other people's cats, since they can jump the fence.
My chicks are 6 weeks old and still making peeping sounds. I let them mix with the older chickens in the coop but keep them in a brooder outside and use a temporary fence and stand guard for a while against the cats before locking them back in.
Only one hen has a problem with them.
Does anyone know when I should be able to let them run loose and not worry about the cats? They are with a broody hen named atilla the hen because she is a very aggressive protector.
It will be a few weeks until their completely enclosed pen is ready.

 

[wingedshade]

'Atilla the hen'

That is a great chicken name!

 

[cukuriku]

@cukuriku If your older two are 6-7 weeks old they would most likely accept the new younger chicks without any issues. I often mixed chicks of different ages (ranging over a few weeks) and have had no problems so far, but it's best to do it when they are younger (like yours is now), as older juveniles tend to be hormonal and sometimes aggressive. Just make sure the heating and temperature in the brooder/run is adequate for the new little ones, or that they have a place they can hang out and warm up, when needed.

I bought the chicks yesterday, and started acquainting them with the older ones, but they don't seem to be accepting them to nicely, is it only because of the fact that it's the first day, or is this a concern that they may not exactly be accepting so fast? Interestingly though, one of the new chicks is standing up for the lil guys, and even my cockerel is backing off like 10 steps from the week-old chick!

What a coward, my cockerel! I should get a picture of the fight when they're face to face and send it in the the thread with shaming chickens! lol

 

[sumi]

Quote: Give them a little time to settle.

Goodness, that sounds like a feisty chick. I think with him in there, they'll be alright! lol Please do take a pic!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Each chicken has its own personality. Each integration is different. I had a chick kill a hatchmate, they were hatched at the same time by a broody hen. That chick also attacked and injured a different hatchmate. No integration involved at all and they were the same age. The chicks were about 1-1/2 to 2 weeks old when the attacks started. I isolated that chick for the day and let him back with the broody and other chicks at the end of that day. He was OK after that, but he was still the first out of that brood that went into the freezer.

I had a 1-1/2 old chick get in a run where I had several 8-week-old chicks isolated. They killed it. I quickly fixed that gate so others could not get in. The irony is that I was planning on letting the 8-week-olds loose the next day. The broody would have been able to protect her chick then, but the broody could not get through that gate.

You are dealing with living animals, you cannot expect the results to be identical for each and every integration around the world. We all have different set-ups and use different techniques. We have different chickens. Sometimes these things go so smoothly you wonder what all the fuss was about. Sometimes chickens die. We can give information on techniques and situations that usually work or greatly improve your odds, but we cannot give guarantees.

When I mix strange chicks I try to keep them about the same age, I don’t know that I’ve ever put chicks more than a week apart into the brooder together. But by 5 weeks of age mine are not in the brooder any more, they might be in the grow-out coop and run or they might be running with the main flock.

Cukuriku, if you are uncomfortable about how they were received by the older chicks, use the standard tricks for integration even with chicks. House them side by side for a week or so. Provide separate feeding and watering areas when you mix them. Provide as much room as you can. A safety haven should be possible with that difference in size.

To me looking across the internet I can’t tell by your description what is going on. I don’t know what “not accepting them nicely” means. Are they viciously trying to kill them? If the young chicks invade their personal space do the older peck them to try to send them away? You have a month or more age difference. Sometimes the older chicks will fully accept the younger and may even try to mother them to an extent. Sometimes the older won’t allow the younger to invade their personal space so they become two separate flocks, peacefully coexisting but keeping their distance from each other. It usually doesn’t take the younger long to learn to keep their distance or they will get pecked. This is what I’d expect to see. Sometimes one is a brute and will actively try to kill the younger. This last is rare as long as you have room but it can happen.

Good luck!

 

[cukuriku]

Give them a little time to settle.

Goodness, that sounds like a feisty chick. I think with him in there, they'll be alright! lol Please do take a pic!

Lol yes he's quite tough, sticking up for those lil guys! I guess I'll have to keep it in mind to bring the camera with me when I go out to them