When to add younger chicks to coop with existing flock?

[Robert Kazlauski]

I have five 7-month old hens in my coop: 1 black australorp, 1 buff orpington, 1 blue laced red wyandotte, and 1 easter egger, and 1 golden buff. They all get along and none seem aggressive. They all appear docile.

I also have 2 five week old amberlink pullets in the brooder in my house who have feathers now. I am anxious to have them leave my house into the coop.

When can I add them to my flock?

 

[azygous]

You may move them into the coop now, but I warn you, it won't be easy. Your big chickens are just barely mature, and they will take great pleasure in bullying the youngsters. You need to prepare for it so that the babies do not get discouraged.

The first time I moved eight-week old chicks into my coop with big chickens, I wasn't prepared for all the problems. The first one came as I was trying to teach the babies to go into the coop at bedtime, and one of the big chickens stationed herself by the pop hole just inside and jumped them as they went in.

So, I went and got a saw and hammer and made a second pop hole at the opposite end, figuring the bully couldn't watch two doors at once. This did help a lot. Make a note of this.

The second issue I encountered was on the perch. The bigs simply were not happy about sharing the roost. So I resigned myself to being a referee until the chicks became comfortable roosting. It helped to shove all the adults to one end of the perch, and position the chicks at the opposite end. Eventually, I got the idea of creating partitions on the perch so the adults couldn't walk back to the chicks' end and knock them off.

Those early years, sixteen years ago, were very challenging. Eventually, I built a smaller second coop, and now I use it for the chicks. It makes it so much easier for the babies to have their own coop. After about a year, the youngsters move themselves into the adult coop. Then it's time to get new baby chicks.

 

[Mrs. K]

A trick I use when sending chicks to the big coop, is a box or small dog crate.

While in the brooder, I put them in the crate at night to sleep. Then when they are 3-4 weeks old, I put the crate in a safety zone in the run. The safety zone is a place where the big girls cannot fit. I have food and water there. After a day or two, I life the fence so that the chicks can scurry under it, and the big girls can't follow. I also lay pallets on the ground around the run. Another escape place for the chicks.

This lets the chicks explore on their terms, not mine. The first time down there, I will wait until they venture out of the safety zone and give a mock chase back to the safety zone and that is it.

At night, with dark, they naturally go into their crate, I carry it into the coop. The first few nights I lock it up. But about the third night, I just leave it open. They leave the coop when they wake, and when I am down to do chores, I set it back in the run. After a couple of times like that- I just leave it in the coop. They sleep there till they are ready to roost - I have an old saw horse, that I can set up for them away from the big girls.

By providing them safety zones, mine are part of the flock in a week.

Mrs K

 

[Mrs. K]

PS. I do have a lot of space, and a lot of clutter in my run.