Intergration questions Next steps?

[Soopermum]

Okay, I have my 6 8-10 week old chicks outside. We have been doing the look don't touch method through a fence/separate pen since the first of July. I have been letting them out of their pen and coop to free range with the adults for the last 2 weeks. The chicks hang around and in the pens and coop area and don't follow the flock to the shaded pasture. Should I herd the chicks after them? or should I let them do their own thing? The flock does wander back and forth to lay eggs, take a nap etc. Next question: When should I put them into the main coop and pen? Their temporary coop is cramped as it is a medium dog crate. (I have 2 one month old babies in the big dog crate in the garage that are not ready to go outside because of the size difference between them and the "teens") I have 3 hens that peck at the chicks yet, but they get out of the way and no bloodshed. Bandit could care less about the chicks at this point. The chicks do stay out of his way. What should my next steps be?

 

[DobieLover]

Should I herd the chicks after them?

No

or should I let them do their own thing?

Yes

When should I put them into the main coop and pen?

Please post pictures of your coop. How large is it? What time do you release the birds in the morning? How many birds total do you have and how many linear feet of roost space?

I have 4 month old babies in the big dog crate in the garage that are not ready to go outside because of the size difference between them and the "teens"

Size really doesn't have anything to do with it. As long as you have lots and lots of space and lots of things in the space to jump up on and/or hide behind with multiple food and water stations, integration of 3-4 week old chicks can start with full grown hens.

Bandit could care less about the chicks at this point

Who is Bandit?

 

[Soopermum]

Bandit is our Rooster. Pictured to the left.

Our coop is a 4ft by 8ft right now. It has 2 main roosting bars one running the length of the coop and 1 running the width of the coop. 6 nest boxes. We are being given a 2nd coop that we are going to attach by a tunnel. I believe it is the same size--I have not seen the interior yet (family members bought a home and giving us the coop). All the chickens are let out at 7:30 in the morning and allowed to free range as long as there are no storms and the hawk has not been sighted. I call them into the pen between 5-7 PM. They have an automatic door on the main coop that shuts about an hour after sunset. (We change the close time with the seasons) with the addition of these chicks I will have 16 and with the 2 (not 4) chicks inside I will have 18 total. I am thinking of waiting until we get the 2nd coop onsite because of the space issue.

 

[DobieLover]

Bandit is our Rooster. Pictured to the left.

I have never had any bird in my flock attack a chick. The males tend to be much more patient with them than the girls.

 

[Soopermum]

I goofed on the size of the coop. It is 6 X 10. I went out and measured.

 

[Mrs. K]

This is a true story. The chicks were just peeping, PEEPINg, running around crazy, peeping some more. And my rooster, jumped up and down, and growled. Dead silence, slow and quiet movement away, one little peep, and a glare - silence.

I swear I could see a newspaper in his hands, and his glasses on looking suspiciously like a Dad in the 50's

Mrs K