When can babies mix with adults?

[fjwallace]

I am getting ready to put my 3 Black Copper Marans out into the big coop, but will put them in a crate in the middle of the coop so they can see and be seen. I have 17 pullets and 2 older hens in there now so with the mixed ages, I will keep the babies in the crate for a week or so before I totally merge them The pullets are 12 weeks old, and normally would be free ranging now except I have an excess of roosters so I will try to re-home them before I let the little ones out. I have Barred Rock, Isa Brown, Golden Comet and the older ones are a black sex-link and a silver lace wyandotte. The sex link was injured somehow so she no longer free ranges and the wyandotte has been besieged by roos til she has no feathers on her back and is enjoying a rooster free environment.

 

[TLCMidMichigan]

Just a week ago I put 7, 7-8 week old chicks in with my older birds.
I took them from the penned inside. Put them in a box and after dark release them in the coop. Also I enclosed the fence for 4-5 days. The older hens weren't too happy with that. Then that may have kept them busy trying figure what happened.
Now my chicks are out free roaming and returning at night to the coop. Mainly they stay together as a group.
I did have a fenced off area in the coop for the chicks to hide or come and go as pleased.

 

[Vicker]

I agree that when to integrate has more to do with circumstances than with age. Breed temperament, coop setup and ratio of younger to older birds are big variables. When the kids outnumber the adults, it tends to go off without a hitch. I start with the see-don't-touch step and watch how that goes for a couple of days. Then I let them out together under supervision. I provide a way of escape that the big birds can't follow. I do plan to do something differently this time. My youngsters are already in a new coop that the old girls will be moving to. I'll have to supervise the roosting activity closely to make sure the littles don't get hurt during the process. In the past, I've added the little ones after the big ones have settled in for the night, and they haven't made a fuss. I don't think this batch of littles are that particular about what spot they get in the new coop yet, so maybe this will work again. I'm always amazed at how best friends during the day can turn on each other when they all want the same spot on the roost.

 

[equinesal]

I have 10 seven week old buff orpingtons that are outside now in the big coop but still inside a large wire dog crate. I also have 4 grown hens, (orpingtons also). The old girls really don't show much interest in the babies except to check on the food that falls out of their cage. I can't remember how old they should be to mix. The babies are getting to big to be left in the crate, should I experiment? I don't want anyone to get hurt but the hens are old ladies and there are only 4 of them to the 10 pullets. If they were any other type of chicken I would be really worried but orpingtons are so mild mannered usually. Maybe I will put wire up and make a bigger space in one corner for the babies. What do y'all think?

I have had great success with introducing them at night while the big girls are sleeping. A friend suggested it and poof it worked like a charm. Everyone was a flock in the morning.

 

[AP332]

Thanks everyone for your input. I have let the old ladies out in the afternoons to free range and then let the babies have the coop, which is just fine for them now, lots of room. I did not think of the immune system problem but it is too late now for that. They have been in the coop, inside their kennel for a while now with no ill effects. I think they are big enough to mix and will start to mingle them in a couple of days and watch carefully to make sure no one gets grumpy. I have had the best luck with the orpingtons, no real damage between them with any group I have had over the years. I tried wyandottes and they just tore each other up with feathers missing all the time and sometimes blood. I think this is going to be fine, they are all pretty calm. Thanks again to everyone for their input, it is nice to know I am on the right track pretty much.

 

[Hootie$]

I have 10 seven week old buff orpingtons that are outside now in the big coop but still inside a large wire dog crate. I also have 4 grown hens, (orpingtons also). The old girls really don't show much interest in the babies except to check on the food that falls out of their cage. I can't remember how old they should be to mix. The babies are getting to big to be left in the crate, should I experiment? I don't want anyone to get hurt but the hens are old ladies and there are only 4 of them to the 10 pullets. If they were any other type of chicken I would be really worried but orpingtons are so mild mannered usually. Maybe I will put wire up and make a bigger space in one corner for the babies. What do y'all think?

Near

 

[Hootie$]

I would let them be near but not until they’re larger. Section it off. Pull some weeds for the pulleys and let them get acquainted for a couple of weeks

 

[Ladies-Eight]

I have 10 seven week old buff orpingtons that are outside now in the big coop but still inside a large wire dog crate. I also have 4 grown hens, (orpingtons also). The old girls really don't show much interest in the babies except to check on the food that falls out of their cage. I can't remember how old they should be to mix. The babies are getting to big to be left in the crate, should I experiment? I don't want anyone to get hurt but the hens are old ladies and there are only 4 of them to the 10 pullets. If they were any other type of chicken I would be really worried but orpingtons are so mild mannered usually. Maybe I will put wire up and make a bigger space in one corner for the babies. What do y'all think?

I have 12 Isa Browns in the coop with 8 adult hens. When I am outdoing for the chickens I try to ease them together. The chicks are in 10' x 10' area of their own. When I get them all together I will take the wire down on one side.

 

[Recoy1]

I have 10 seven week old buff orpingtons that are outside now in the big coop but still inside a large wire dog crate. I also have 4 grown hens, (orpingtons also). The old girls really don't show much interest in the babies except to check on the food that falls out of their cage. I can't remember how old they should be to mix. The babies are getting to big to be left in the crate, should I experiment? I don't want anyone to get hurt but the hens are old ladies and there are only 4 of them to the 10 pullets. If they were any other type of chicken I would be really worried but orpingtons are so mild mannered usually. Maybe I will put wire up and make a bigger space in one corner for the babies. What do y'all think?

Hi. This was our first time integrating flocks. We couldn’t put the chicks in the run until it was warm enough, and they were 10 weeks at that point (2 Barred Rock, 2 Buff Orps). They were inside their own cage in the run for two weeks before we opened their cage door. The big girls (2 Rhode Island Reds, 2 Cinnamon Queens) didn’t really seem to care. After about 3 days one of the Cinnamon Queens hopped inside with them, for a snack and a drink. Slowly after that the chicks also started leaving their cage and venturing out into the run with the big girls. They always returned to roost on top of their cage when the big girls went inside for the night. After about a week of leaving them there at night, we put them inside the coop to roost with the big girls. That was last night. We had to coax them out and down the ladder this morning with some scratch. Hopefully they will follow the others inside tonight, then we will remove their cage. We will continue this until they figure it out. It’s gone really well with very few squabbles. I just try to get a feel for how it’s going and try to follow their lead. For a first time effort, I’m very pleased with how it’s gone! They are about 14 weeks now.

Thanks to everyone for willingly sharing your experiences on this site. I couldn’t have done this so confidently without the help of this very kind community!

 

[Blooie]

Because I raise mine outdoors in a wire pen within the run, I can start mingling at about 2 weeks (supervised of course), then have them out with the Bigs all day long and locking their little portal doors at night by 3 weeks old. At 4 weeks I have complete, total integration and the brooder pen is torn down and removed. Not one issue in all the years and batches done this way.

Silkie chicks at around 4 weeks. Right after these shots were taken, we removed the brooder pen completely.

Tank, our Light Brahma - always first to greet the chicks when they come out.

Outside with the flock (part of the flock, anyway), while Ken was inside disassembling the brooder.