Wanting to start integration. Coop clutter ideas?

[FattySmough]

Tomorrow I want to attempt to integrate my cockerel and 4 pullets with my 5 hens. They have free ranged together for several weeks so aside from the 2 bully hens everyone gets along decently well. I think they should be ready considering the youngsters are now 17 weeks.

I'm thinking that some coop clutter might help things go more smoothly. I've never really used clutter during integration so I'm a bit stumped on what to use. The birds will probably be locked up for an hour or two in the morning before they are let out, so I want the young birds to have places to hide if they need to. Especially the 2 polish pullets.

Any ideas for clutter inside the coop? There's about 25-30 square feet of open space.

 

[WIchickMama]

Over turned pots, buckets, pallets, chair, pretty much anything they can hide behind, on or underneath

 

[aart]

I think they should be ready considering the youngsters are now 17 weeks.

Age doesn't have much to do with it.
It's actually easier to integrate young chicks, if you have a brooder set up in the coop.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[FattySmough]

Age doesn't have much to do with it.
It's actually easier to integrate young chicks, if you have a brooder set up in the coop.

Unfortunately they were much older than young chicks by the time I learned that. Thanks for the articles though, the visuals are really helpful. I'll be using some of those ideas.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Great ideas here! I used a bench on its side to create an out of sight spot and put feed there so my new pullets had a place to hide. My bigs are vicious

 

[3KillerBs]

What you use doesn't matter so much as the fact that it's capable of breaking line-of-sight.

I happen to have a bunch of random pieces of metal roofing, which I lean against walls to make tunnels.

I also prop pallets up with concrete blocks, which both create site barriers and offer perching spots.

Then there's the plastic tote on it's side and the pet carrier with it's door propped open (this *could* create a dead end pace but hasn't been an issue in my situation so far).

 

[FattySmough]

I also prop pallets up with concrete blocks, which both create site barriers and offer perching spots.

Ohh I like this. I just happen to have an extra pallet and concrete blocks. I also have plastic totes for nest boxes so I suppose they could use one of those so long as they don't get stuck inside.

 

[FattySmough]

My bigs are vicious

I used to have barred rocks that turned into demons when new birds were introduced. They were so vicious with the new birds that they blinded a pullet in one eye

 

[3KillerBs]

Ohh I like this. I just happen to have an extra pallet and concrete blocks. I also have plastic totes for nest boxes so I suppose they could use one of those so long as they don't get stuck inside.

Here's one that I have setup in Camp Cockerel:

 

[WIchickMama]

Great ideas here! I used a bench on its side to create an out of sight spot and put feed there so my new pullets had a place to hide. My bigs are vicious

Good idea, I am stealing this! lol