Whew! I finally did it! Little girls with big girls

[ZooMummzy]

After a week of thinking...and saying...I couldn't do it, I finally mixed my 2 1/2 month old EE's with my 8 other pullets, 4 - 5 months old.

They have been in the same run together for a month now, separated by wire. Today, after getting completely frustrated with trying to build a coop within a coop, I let them all out together and walked away. I was close enough to step in if needed...and to hear the horrible screams now and then, but tonight they all went in the coop together. There are a lot of feathers blowing around the run tonight, lol and there was a lot of jockeying for the best roost position, but everything is calm now. I'm going to go back out with a flashlight soon and make sure and I'm keeping my fingers crossed they all come out ok in the morning.

I think I made this a lot harder than it should have been but it was difficult!

 

[FisherMOM]

this is good to hear. We are building 2 runs side by side and I hope to make it just one run eventually. I think we are making it more difficult than need be too. My 12 week old chicks are the same size as by adults. The adults are a little bigger than bantams... the chicks are standard sized RIR and GSL.

 

[ZooMummzy]

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It's pretty easy to make it difficult, lol. I couldn't stand to hear the little ones scream as the pecking order worked itself out, so that was my problem. Just walking away helped a lot. This morning, they are all "living" together just fine. There is still some pecking going on, but nothing more than my flock does anyway. The older girls are 3 RIR's, 2 BSL's and 3 Buff O's. The younger ones are EE's. Definitely not the same sizes, and while I went against everyone's advice here, it worked. I'm leaving on vacation soon and just couldn't have the two living separately for my housesitter. I hate to make things more difficult for them.

I hope it goes well for you too!

 

[CooCooBird]

Hi, this is my first post, i hope i'm in the right section. I have 2 Light Brahma hens 3 years old. They live outside and have the run of the backyard when we're home. They live in a large coop that also has a wire run which they use when we're not home. Now here is my problem

My son bought some baby chicks, and after a few days he noticed that one of them had a crooked beak and wasn't able to eat like the others. The top part of the beak goes out straight with a slight hook to it, and the bottom part of the beak goes out at a 90% angle. She was unable to eat the dried chicken feed, because she can't grasp anything with her beak. Well i took her home to see if we could work something out for her so she could live a good life. I serve her chick feed mixed with water, with some veggies chopped up very small. She is getting along great and growing very well. She is 11 weeks old now. My problem is my other 2 hens seem to hate her. When i take her outside they attack her, and i end up bringing her back into the house, which i'm sure is the wrong thing to do. Any ideas on how to make this transition to the outside any easier on my little one? Thank you for any help you can give me.

 

[ZooMummzy]

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Hi and Welcome CooCooBird!

I'm sorry to hear about your baby with a crooked beak. You might want to repost this in the Raising chicks or Emergencies/Illness section with a title about crooked beaks. You will probably get a lot more answers. I know I have read several threads about crooked beaks so you might want to search on that too and see if it gives you any answers. We had a thread going for awhile about Special Need Chickens because I have one. This is the link to it and I know there were a couple people there with crooked beak chickens.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=53673

I hope this helps you some? Best of luck to you and your little one.

 

[priszilla]

welcome coco
someone will give you good advice-- ask in the chatroom too!

 

[CooCooBird]

Thank you very much for your help ZooMummzy and Priszilla. Actually what i was wondering was what is the best way to get my 2 hens and this new baby use to each other so that they can end up living together outside in the coop and yard sometime soon. Would i post that question on the sections you suggested? Thank you very much for your help!

 

[panner123]

I learned how to put younger chickens in with older ones with hardly any pecking or fighting. I have been around chickens for the best part of 50+++ years and was taught this trick only last weekend. Take the chickens you want to add and place them in the new yard just before dark. There will be a few squabbles, but they will be to busy getting their last bit of food and water. With a good rooster to lead them into the coop they will spend the night together and in the morning it is like they were together all their lives. A young man of 101 told me to do it this way, I did and it worked. Even grandpa can learn from time to time.

 

[ZooMummzy]

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Oh no, sorry, this would be the right section for that.

 

[ZooMummzy]

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Sounds like something my Nana would have told me to do too! I wish I had a rooster. I probably wouldn't have had all these problems! Things are still going well though except I'm having to "teach" the little ones to go into the coop at night and come out in the morning, lol. I'm wondering if they are scared or just dumb?

The only pecking going on now is from the two pullets that used to be at the bottom of the pecking order. They are making sure the new ones know their place I guess.