When to integrate younger birds?

[Shawna235]

My current flock is: 1 RIR, 2 Ply Rocks, 1 Orp, 1 Ameraucana, 2 Wyandottes, 1 Black Sex Link, and a RIR roo who was supposed to be a she. They are between 17 and 21 weeks old and we are just getting our first eggs. The roo has found his crow and his testosterone and now shows typical aggression and dominance.

The new birds are 8 weeks old: 1 Ameraucana, 1 Brahma and 1 Langshan. They are currently sleeping in a large dog crate and spend their days in the back yard (fully fenced). This borders the chicken run which is enclosed w/ a 5' cyclone (occationally someone still goes over the fence even w/ a clipped wing)

Each "flock" can observe each other continually throughout the day and they also spend time in the yard mingling while being observed. I haven't seen much aggression to worry about except that the rooster concerns me. He has gotten pretty big and outsizes the littles by a lot. In the yard there is plenty of shrubbery to hide behind but the chicken run is bare. How and when should I integrate them? Would temporarily removing the rooster help?

 

[teach1rusl]

It's advised not to integrate until newbies are somewhat close in size to the existing flock. For LF birds, this is usually around 12-14 weeks. You want them to be large enough to defend themselves if attacked. Depending on how small or ample your run and housing is (and how many roosts are in the coop) will impact the process too. Since your run is bare, I'd definitely add barriers when the time to integrate comes...large branches, stumps, almost anything really that would give the younger birds places to hide or escape from larger birds. I have an old wooden chair and an old wooden stepladder in one of my runs. Oh, and if you don't use two feeders, add one (set apart from the other) so that the younsters have opportunities to eat.

 

[LakeBird]

I have the same age birds. They all free range in the yard; however not together and the big girls sometimes chase the little ones away occasionally. I place the little ones in a dog crate in the coop at night. When do you think would be a good time to allow the little ones out of the coop dog pen so they can roost? I don't exactly have a place for the little ones to hide in the coop if necessary.

 

[teach1rusl]

I have the same age birds. They all free range in the yard; however not together and the big girls sometimes chase the little ones away occasionally. I place the little ones in a dog crate in the coop at night. When do you think would be a good time to allow the little ones out of the coop dog pen so they can roost? I don't exactly have a place for the little ones to hide in the coop if necessary.

Chasing is okay...a peck here and there is normal. But if a bird/birds won't let up, even when the little ones run away...and feathers are yanked out or blood is drawn, then there's a problem.
Many have found that simply by adding a separate roost inside the coop helps newbies at roosting time (because often the larger birds won't allow them on "their" roosts). Or once they're old enough, you can TRY placing them on the roosts with the big birds after it's dark outside (so the bigger ones can't really see to chase them off).

 

[LakeBird]

Chasing is okay...a peck here and there is normal. But if a bird/birds won't let up, even when the little ones run away...and feathers are yanked out or blood is drawn, then there's a problem.
Many have found that simply by adding a separate roost inside the coop helps newbies at roosting time (because often the larger birds won't allow them on "their" roosts). Or once they're old enough, you can TRY placing them on the roosts with the big birds after it's dark outside (so the bigger ones can't really see to chase them off).

Do you suggest when they are about the same size, place them on the roost late at night? I have 2 different roost in my coop. Should I just place them on the other roost or would that matter?

 

[Sally8]

My smaller ones were in a dog crate also, and I built a run to zip strip it to the dog crate ( the same width but about 5 ft long, enclosed in a plastic wire) after a week, I opened a corner, just big enough for them to get in a out of but not so for the others. It's been 5 days and all is well so far. They started by just coming out the opening and when a bigger chicken came after them they would run back in. I wouldn't try anything until you can be around that day to observe. Mine are 2 very different sizes (ages) Shortly, I have to let them all out for the day and I'll try to get a picture. It's not pretty but temporarily functional.

 

[LakeBird]

My smaller ones were in a dog crate also, and I built a run to zip strip it to the dog crate ( the same width but about 5 ft long, enclosed in a plastic wire) after a week, I opened a corner, just big enough for them to get in a out of but not so for the others. It's been 5 days and all is well so far. They started by just coming out the opening and when a bigger chicken came after them they would run back in. I wouldn't try anything until you can be around that day to observe. Mine are 2 very different sizes (ages) Shortly, I have to let them all out for the day and I'll try to get a picture. It's not pretty but temporarily functional.

That would get if you can share pics. I will post a pic of my coop interior later tonight.

 

[JuliaMGrz]

Hi Chicken Lovers,

I found that my rooster will on occasion get the adult birds off of the little ones. He does not do it as often as I would like however and I am concerned about the youngest birds in my flock. I give them all room (they are in a large dog kennel run) and 3 outdoor feeding stations plus 3 outdoor watering stations but it seems that the older babies go after the youngest as well. As for removing your rooster in your flock...have you had the chance to observe them? Like I stated I have found that my old rooster keeps the hens from beating up too much on the younger ones. He leaves the older babies pretty much alone. It is when I come out with greens that the little ones really have a hard time. As my chickens have pecked the ground to dirt I bring them a pound of spinach or something every morning and a treat in the afternoon when possible.

I wonder if anyone has had any luck with broody hens protecting babies that are 14 weeks and older instead of day old chicks?

 

[CAjerseychick]

I second the placing of barriers and chicken "panic rooms" in the run - chairs, a kids picnic table, even two old baby gates leaned up against the run fencing, cardboard boxes turned upside down with holes in the side for entry-- for me this was partially for protection from Hawks but it helps to have outs for the little ones to run into-- I have 3 nine week olds and 15 five week olds-- there is quite a size difference but the littles are very agile and nimble and the big chicks do the odd peck, mostly to get them out of their way if they percieve that there is food to be had, and then ignore the little chicks. I had their coop with some poutlry netting accross to partition it for them but after the first night they sort of pushed aside a corner, and at night the big chicks sleep in a pile in their favorite corner, and the little ones all pile in around them! Cute! But as soon as it is daylight (I peeked in one morning through a nest box) the littles will go back into the side that is mostly partitioned off, to stay out of the way of big chicks....