What size for in-coop crate for chicks?

[bayareapilot]

I like the suggested method of using some size container inside the coop at night to get the chicks as well as the adult chicken population used to one another. Something like a dog crate. Anyway it would be an enclosure just for use just at night when I would put the six or seven week old pullets into the coop. They would be small at 6 weeks but in as much as it's an enclosure just for sleeping and not for long-term stay, what sort of dimensions would I need for four six week pullets? I assume we're not talking the two or three square feet per chicken rule with this special night time only enclosure, right? I also assume this process wouldn't last very long anyway.

 

[rosemarythyme]

For 4 young pullets something like this rat cage would do (this is about... 1.5'x3' or so?) I used this last time I was integrating four 4-wk-old chicks to the coop. Since your chicks are a little older, a slightly larger cage would be a bonus. Note that I covered the top with some cardboard to prevent hens from pooping on the cage or terrorizing chicks from above.

Caveat: My chicks were already "integrated" in with the flock in the run. However they were not previously sleeping in the coop with the adults.

After 2 days in the cage the chicks voluntarily followed the adults into the coop and roosted. I removed the cage at that point.

 

[bayareapilot]

This is great! the production blues I have right now they're just a few days old so it will be a while I was just using six weeks as maybe a likely time frame between 5:00 and 6 weeks where they be feathered out enough to even consider such a thing.

Again appreciate the advice first time I'll be trying it this way. Of course they'll be dealing with the pullets at that time when they become pullets using the look but don't touch method out in the open run during the day.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Take a look at my integration article if you want a better idea of timelines, setting up obstacles/safety areas, etc. You can see a bit of the chicks interacting with the adults as well (actually I should add more photos of that) in the run during daytimes before I finally permanently moved them out of the brooder.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/short-on-time-recycle-a-prefab-brooder.73985/

 

[3KillerBs]

This is one iteration of my integration pen: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/mini-coop-or-integration-pen-from-a-large-dog-crate.76593/

Here are some useful articles on integration:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-“see-but-don’t-touch”-method.67839/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/adding-to-your-flock.47756/