When to Integrate Pullets

[ninnymary]

My pullets are 17 weeks. The problem is that the coop is small and totally enclosed. No place to hide. We did build them a ladder hoping they would go up there to escape but the dumb chickens don't use it. Arrr....

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

Mary, it might help a little if you could put a few things in the run part to break up the space so the bullies can't corner the new ones. Something like a couple of buckets, or a closed cardboard box. Just so the one running away has something to dodge around.

 

[baymule]

I have integrated new pullets in the coop by putting them in a cage in the coop for a week or so. The "old" girls could walk around the cage, but couldn't get at the "new" girls. Then I opened the door and it was a few days before the new girls would even go outside the cage. They used the cage as a safe house, running back in it when the old girls were mean to them. for some reason, the old girls never followed the new girls in the cage. The pullets basically integrated themselves.

 

[ninnymary]

bay, that is essentially what I do. The have a separated section where they have seen each other since they were 5 weeks old. Today, (day 2) the pullets have stayed mainly in the inclosed roosting section where the next boxes are. It will be interesting to see what they do when one of the older hens has to go there to lay an egg. Ha

The day after I integrated them one of the pullets laid an egg in the next box! Do you think it was just a coincidence?

Mary

 

[baymule]

The day after I integrated them one of the pullets laid an egg in the next box! Do you think it was just a coincidence?

Mary

Just in time!!! LOL!

 

[ninnymary]

The integration seems to be getting better. Not that there is less pecking but the pullets are getting smarter! Ha. They now spend a lot of their time in the enclosed roosting section. Two of them, one being my speckle sussex are now spending some time on the ladder we built for them. Thank you so much cannesisters for that suggestion!

I found another egg from one of my pullets. It looked a tiny bit darker than the first one laid by the red sex link. I wonder if this one is from my speckle sussex?

Mary

 

[Just-Moxie]

Update; I just integrated 7 chicks with the main flock. They were 8 weeks old yesterday, and the broody hen was done with them. She was pecking them and making them run away...so it was time to leave the nest.
Now...the main pen has 7 adults, 8 teenagers, 1 broody hen with chicks hatched out on August 7. I think. They are still quite young, and she only has 5 this time.
Anyway, we set them on the coop roosts last night, about 8pm. It was dark, but still just enough light to see them by.
Nobody was injured so far this morning. I let them out at 0730...and checked them again at 1130. So far so good. We'll see how they handle bedtime tonight....about 730 pm.
Oh...I made sure they had 3 scoops of feed out this morning. Hopefully they wouldn't be as "pecky" if their crops were full. >>belch<<

 

[ninnymary]

Glad things are going well with your chicks moxies. Mine are doing much better than I expected. There is a mean hen that seems to go after my red sex link alot but I don't feel sorry for her since she drew blood from my leg! They seem to leave my sussex alone the majority of the time. She is so sweet and has never pecked anyone. I was worried about her. They are able to still eat and drink from the same feeders so that's good. Of course this is when the 4 hens are in the small section off the coop.

Mary

 

[ducks4you]

The adult birds will try to kill the younger birds if you just put them in together. Sadly, I have to report that my fencing didn't keep my 2 mo birds from a massacre. 6 were eaten and one pullet survived. I am downsizing bc I don't have a full sized coop yet, and my "turkey house" and dog chain link fence enclosure should be ready for a move in about two weeks. I will be moving this young bird in the first day with one older layer, and then gradually, once every two days after that move in the other 4. This little house can't hold more than about 6 layers and that will be my flock until next Spring.
When you create a new flock by making the younger birds the "established" flock and you introduce one older bird at a time, you won't have any dead birds and they will accept each other and re work a new pecking order. This only works with birds and not with horses, btw. =b

 

[Just-Moxie]

I am happy to hear your integration is going well mary. I expect if I do have any mean birds, they will go to the portable cage for a time out of a few days.

Well, mine have done well all day long. No bloody juveniles. And the one game cockerel seems to have gotten tired of pecking them.
Now, the first batch from last year....we had some OEGB/PR mixed cockerels. They were seriously aggressive. I culled all of them and put them in the freezer. That was a rough week for integration. One of the integrations that we learned on. As well as not breeding straight game with Plymouth Rocks anymore. They were just plain mean and aggressive.
Now, all of this years chicks are BR, and some diluted game with EE and PR. Things are going much better this year.
Also, after placing them in the main coop at dusk, then I let them all out at 0700....and put plenty of dry feed out to distract them all.
We'll see how tomorrow goes.