When is it safe to let the new chicks sleep with the big girls?

[Fliese]

Hello. I have 4 hens that are about a year old (Barred Rock, Delaware, Red Star and Speckled Sussex). I also have 5 pullets who are 2 months (Easter Eggers) and 1.5 months (Buff Orp, Wyandotte, and Welsummer). The little ones spent a week in an adjoining run (shared wall) and have been in the big run with the big girls for about a week. The coop is raised off the floor by about 12" and the little ones spend most of the day under the coop, while the big girls are out in the main part of the run. There has not been too much pecking- and basically none since the first day of the run sharing.

At the same time that they came into the same run, the new coop went up. I had read that it would help to have them all move into the new coop together because it was "neutral ground". So far, the little girls have been sleeping in a section that I have fenced off with chicken wire and the big ones have free reign over the rest of it. The coop has an automatic door that I have set to open about 1 hour before sunrise (the run is secure).

So, what I'm wondering is, at what point can I let the little ones be in the coop without the wire? They have little interaction with the big ones and the few times they *do* venture out, the Star usually chances them off (to protect her mealworms, I think, as they only come out when they hear the mealworm can). I'd like to not have to chase everyone down every night to put into the closed off space (those chicks are hard to catch!), but I also don't want to send them to their death.

 

[Judy]

I would think that if they are OK in the same space during the day, they would be OK at night. The little ones might not get on the roost, but they will in time. Personally, I see no reason to force the issue.

 

[Fliese]

My only concern is that during the day, they stay away from each other (the two groups), so I don't know how they'd do in the coop itself, which is obviously not as open and offers nowhere to hide. Maybe I'll give it a go tonight and just be sure to supervise the settling in time and the wake-up. The big girls still haven't caught on to going into the new coop to sleep, so I have to go out at dusk to tuck everyone in anyhow.

 

[RollinWithTheStones]

Once the "babies" were fully feathered I took down all barriers and if I saw no real issues then I let them work it out on their own. They at first segregated themselves, but I started throwing some scratch into the run and eventually they all started to intermingle.

 

[Fliese]

Well, I took the wire down today and had to tuck everyone in (I wonder when they will get the idea to go in the new coop at night). There were only a couple minor scuffles, all but one caused by one of the little ones continually trying to sit on the perch tucked under a bigger one. It was quite funny to watch. I think they'll be fine. I have the door set to open really early and I raked all of the straw into a huge pile in the run, so they should have something to keep them busy when they wake up.

Thanks for the encouragement. Most of the time, I think I know what I'm doing and then something changes and I'm lost again. It makes me think of parenting kids. As soon as you have it figured out, something changes.

Anyways, thanks again.