What would you do here?

[melslp13]

Ugh! Bought two 4-week-old leghorn chicks at a swap this weekend, and one of them is just plain trouble! I have the little ones in a 4 x 8 x 6 ft tall weather-tight/uninsulated coop with the big girls; they are separated though with a 4 1/2 ft divider "playpen" for their safety from the big girls (9 week olds) . The babies have a light bulb above for warmth, since tonight is dipping to the low 30's outside, but the big girls sleep up on their roosts (I'm so proud of them learning in the week I've had them!). So I go to check everyone for the night... my little troublemaker has flown over the divider and joined the big girls on the roost!! This leaves her little buddy all alone in the baby pen, and I can't see how I could put the little one left behind into the big girl pen without upsetting the whole coop because the babies are still terrified of me and will set the whole place to flapping, peeping mayhem. I feel terrible for the one left behind, but I guess if properly motivated she can try the same stunt and fly over the divider or I have a nice bucket set on it's side that she can shelter in full of pine shavings and a feather duster for a mock "buddy" if she gets cold. Would you have tried to wrangle the troublemaker back into the baby pen, tried to wrangle the left-behind baby over to the big-girl side (at the risk of traumatizing her from the fear of my handling her), or just left everyone to sort themselves out and hope it all works out in the morning? Not sure what I should have done here, but for now I'm leaving it alone.

 

[Kelsie2290]

I would probably either get the 4w one back on the other side now, or be there early in the morning before the chickens get up to catch it and put it back in its pen (and cover it). The 4 to 9 week age difference is enough to worry me that the single 4w might get picked on by the 9w olds and get hurt.

 

[melslp13]

problem is, I don't know how I could cover it AND have the heat, since the lamp is in the way of what would be the cover and I am not sure there is a safe spot to move it. I hate using the lamp at all but its 30 outside tomorrow and I don't own a pen to put them in elsewhere.