So. You have an existing flock of adult chickens, and a secondary flock of younger birds, possibly chicks, and you're wondering: how do I turn these two groups into one cohesive unit, without anyone getting hurt?
Relax, it's doable, and not at all difficult. The tried-and-true method most recommended around here is called the See-No-Touch method, and I'm going to show you how I used it to integrate a flock of 15 beautiful 7-8 week old lavender EE (Easter Egger) chicks into my 20 mixed OG (Old Guard) hens with absolutely no fuss and no drama. With lots of pictures.
Before I start, though, I want to recommend a great article in this section titled https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-chickens-step-by-step.72815/. It explains the method thoroughly. Ready? Here we go.
Now, your setup may be different from mine. But the key element in this method is that both groups of chickens need to be able to see each other, preferably with only fencing separating them. In fact, almost all their senses should be engaged except touch. They should be able to see, hear, and smell each other practically all the time, from about the time the chicks are three weeks old until you are ready to join the groups together, when the chicks are anywhere from five to eight weeks of age. I do it at about eight weeks. We moved our chicks to an outside brooder when they were three weeks old (and became too stinky to keep in the house!). The brooder is inside a pen made of chain-link panels lined with hardware cloth up to about two feet high. We have dogs, so predators are not a problem.
Yup, that Rubbermaid storage unit is the brooder. Er, the fence is actually level. The camera was not. The top of the brooder slides back during the day to provide ventilation; when it rains we pull it forward but of course the front stays open. Mostly the chicks spend their days outside in the chain link pen and are securely locked in at night.
The older flock sleeps at night in the vine-covered 8x10 coop you can barely see in the background, and spends its days in a very large run to the left for part of the day. Later, the gates are opened and they free-range on about three acres. Their area completely surrounds the chicks' pen.
A couple of the OG hens are in shadow on the left, looking in at the lavender chicks.
And that's Rojo el Magnifico, the rooster, outside the chicks' pen, checking out the youngsters. I didn't name him, he named himself. Obviously, he has a very high opinion of himself.
The lavender chicks, at six weeks, are separated from the OGs only by this chicken wire gate. In another week or so, I'll open this gate and they'll be one, big, happy family. The only reason I haven't already done it at this point is because I still have some chick feed remaining. I'm gradually switching the chicks over to an all-flock formula, but I don't want to give the older girls access to the mixed feed. Why? Because they LOVE the chick starter, that's why; they're gluttons for it. They'll gobble it all down and crowd the chicks away from their feeder. So integration will just have to wait a little bit longer.
At almost 8 weeks old, look how big my babies are! They're practically grown-up chickens. They've just finished a five-day course of Corid and are ready to join the big birds. Today's the Big Day!
The gate is finally open! And the OG hens have wasted no time coming in to check out the goodies at the children's table. Nothing to see here, ladies, they're serving the same menu here as you have in your own feeder, so move along! Let's see how things are progressing in the Big Girls' section.
Well, will you look at that! The junior staff is hanging out at the office water cooler with Senior Admin like old friends. Babies mostly on the left, two OG on the right, with one chick in the middle. Everyone looks perfectly comfortable together. They don't even realize they're wing-to-wing with each other, in closer proximity than they've ever been before. It's just not that big of a difference.
And there you have it, folks. Easy peasy. The chicks will follow the OG out into the big wide world to see where to find the best bugs and dust baths; Rojo will show them what a big back yard they have to explore, and the dogs will keep an eye out for predators. Oh, I knew I forgot something! The dogs.
Here's Jenny overseeing snack time ...
.... and Sammy (aka Greedyguts), making sure he gets his share of the mealworms.
I hope you've enjoyed this journey through the joys of integrating. See, it's not scary at all! You can certainly do this. Enjoy your flocks, folks!
Relax, it's doable, and not at all difficult. The tried-and-true method most recommended around here is called the See-No-Touch method, and I'm going to show you how I used it to integrate a flock of 15 beautiful 7-8 week old lavender EE (Easter Egger) chicks into my 20 mixed OG (Old Guard) hens with absolutely no fuss and no drama. With lots of pictures.
Before I start, though, I want to recommend a great article in this section titled https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-chickens-step-by-step.72815/. It explains the method thoroughly. Ready? Here we go.
Now, your setup may be different from mine. But the key element in this method is that both groups of chickens need to be able to see each other, preferably with only fencing separating them. In fact, almost all their senses should be engaged except touch. They should be able to see, hear, and smell each other practically all the time, from about the time the chicks are three weeks old until you are ready to join the groups together, when the chicks are anywhere from five to eight weeks of age. I do it at about eight weeks. We moved our chicks to an outside brooder when they were three weeks old (and became too stinky to keep in the house!). The brooder is inside a pen made of chain-link panels lined with hardware cloth up to about two feet high. We have dogs, so predators are not a problem.
Yup, that Rubbermaid storage unit is the brooder. Er, the fence is actually level. The camera was not. The top of the brooder slides back during the day to provide ventilation; when it rains we pull it forward but of course the front stays open. Mostly the chicks spend their days outside in the chain link pen and are securely locked in at night.
The older flock sleeps at night in the vine-covered 8x10 coop you can barely see in the background, and spends its days in a very large run to the left for part of the day. Later, the gates are opened and they free-range on about three acres. Their area completely surrounds the chicks' pen.
A couple of the OG hens are in shadow on the left, looking in at the lavender chicks.
And that's Rojo el Magnifico, the rooster, outside the chicks' pen, checking out the youngsters. I didn't name him, he named himself. Obviously, he has a very high opinion of himself.
The lavender chicks, at six weeks, are separated from the OGs only by this chicken wire gate. In another week or so, I'll open this gate and they'll be one, big, happy family. The only reason I haven't already done it at this point is because I still have some chick feed remaining. I'm gradually switching the chicks over to an all-flock formula, but I don't want to give the older girls access to the mixed feed. Why? Because they LOVE the chick starter, that's why; they're gluttons for it. They'll gobble it all down and crowd the chicks away from their feeder. So integration will just have to wait a little bit longer.
At almost 8 weeks old, look how big my babies are! They're practically grown-up chickens. They've just finished a five-day course of Corid and are ready to join the big birds. Today's the Big Day!
The gate is finally open! And the OG hens have wasted no time coming in to check out the goodies at the children's table. Nothing to see here, ladies, they're serving the same menu here as you have in your own feeder, so move along! Let's see how things are progressing in the Big Girls' section.
Well, will you look at that! The junior staff is hanging out at the office water cooler with Senior Admin like old friends. Babies mostly on the left, two OG on the right, with one chick in the middle. Everyone looks perfectly comfortable together. They don't even realize they're wing-to-wing with each other, in closer proximity than they've ever been before. It's just not that big of a difference.
And there you have it, folks. Easy peasy. The chicks will follow the OG out into the big wide world to see where to find the best bugs and dust baths; Rojo will show them what a big back yard they have to explore, and the dogs will keep an eye out for predators. Oh, I knew I forgot something! The dogs.
Here's Jenny overseeing snack time ...
.... and Sammy (aka Greedyguts), making sure he gets his share of the mealworms.
I hope you've enjoyed this journey through the joys of integrating. See, it's not scary at all! You can certainly do this. Enjoy your flocks, folks!
