# new chickens



## tamsteve (May 10, 2021)

I have four hens that are 5 yrs old, We added this year since they are older and egg production is not as good. So we ended up getting 3 day old chicks, they are now 11 weeks old. They sleep in a dog kennel, 3 weeks ago I started bringing them in the big run with the older girls, see and no touch set up....we ordered a small coop/run to make it easier for me to get them in and out when i'm out there. About a few days ago We started to let them out and mingle with the older ones, it went better then i though even though the second on the pecking order pecked a few and got some feathers....which i'm assuming is normal. I didn't want to have the babies sleep in their new small coop, I really wanted them to sleep in the same coop the older ones are in, we have an automatic door and it's alot bigger, plus i didn't want two transitions from new coop to older coop so I fenced off an area under the poop trays for them to start sleeping in there, first night went ok they were scared but got over it, piled on top of eachother in a corner...the second night they were so hard to get in the big coop at night, we had to literally dump them out of the cat carrier they were scared....the next morning i found my biggest and prettiest chick dead, by a snake, he tried to eat her but she was so big and he couldn't swallow her, sad lesson learned and I felt like crap...but I didn't want them back in the big coop until I knew they were safe, no we haven't caught the snake yet so my husband was wanting to put them in the new coop but mama said NO and they are back in their safe dog kennel lol. I am so paranoid now...I do want them outside but i'm not sure about the new coop, no camera inside and I just feel safer with them in the big coop, I don't want them thinking the small coop is thier permanent home but I also don't want them in the dog kennel to long. Has anyone had another coop while they were young and then put them in the Main coop when they are older? I'm so scared that snake will come back and get another one....so paranoid and attached now. My goal is to have them in the big coop with the big hens by June, we have vacations coming up and we also have a camp and I don't want to be stressed about them not safe....thanks for any advice!


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## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

Here is my advice; 
Continue letting them out together as much as possible. Can you put them in a box within the big coop or a similar setup to start? This might help everyone transition. 
I’m sorry you lost your pretty chick- what a heartbreaker. The more time they spend together the better, and just expect the drama as they integrate. As long as nobody gets pounded in the ground then they should be just fine. 
The longer you wait And the older the chicks get, the harder in them the older s might be. That’s not a lot of advice but I do know this much; I have 4/5 separated ‘flocks’ at the moment bc our big coop is in limbo again. Ah! Frustrating. I’ve integrated 3-4x before already though and that is what I jace learned so far! 
When putting them together loose in there together first time or whatever, if you can scatter something in there to distract them, as needed. 
Someone else used a squirt gun to prevent bullying in her flock- one particular one kept getting it so she sat out and got them every time. Sound advice there, I wanr to try it too. 
Good luck- it’s much harder on us than them I promise- that’s the last thing I want you to know- it’s way harder on us usually.


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## tamsteve (May 10, 2021)

Overmountain1 said:


> Here is my advice;
> Continue letting them out together as much as possible. Can you put them in a box within the big coop or a similar setup to start? This might help everyone transition.
> I’m sorry you lost your pretty chick- what a heartbreaker. The more time they spend together the better, and just expect the drama as they integrate. As long as nobody gets pounded in the ground then they should be just fine.
> The longer you wait And the older the chicks get, the harder in them the older s might be. That’s not a lot of advice but I do know this much; I have 4/5 separated ‘flocks’ at the moment bc our big coop is in limbo again. Ah! Frustrating. I’ve integrated 3-4x before already though and that is what I jace learned so far!
> ...


Thank you for your advice, unfortunately their cage won't fit in the big coop, we have a set up to where we have the big coop with a small run we have a tunnel that goes from the small run to a Huge run, that's where the new small coop is, and the young ones haven't been through the tunnel yet, for the adult ones that's where they hang and not alot of hiding places, not sure if they would corner them and then they won't realize the tunnel is how to get out...I don't want them on the floor of the big coop, fear that snake will be back, this is the second time I have seen it in the coop...crazy 6 yrs never had an issue, also what about the layer pellets should i just feed all the chickens grower food until the young ones can eat the layer pellets?


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## tamsteve (May 10, 2021)




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## tamsteve (May 10, 2021)

tamsteve said:


> View attachment 40640


This is the new smaller coop we just bought


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## tamsteve (May 10, 2021)




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## tamsteve (May 10, 2021)

tamsteve said:


> View attachment 40641


This is the big coop with the small run we built this one


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## tamsteve (May 10, 2021)

This is the big run where the small coop is at, it has a tunnel from the big run to the big coop


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Welcome to the forum and thanks for posting the pics! It's always easier to understand the situation if one can visualize it a bit. Regrettably, if that snake has a taste for birds, it will be back, and they can be tough to eradicate. Usually, a predator gets one shot at causing trouble with my coops at night. Then, I usually stay out there till I get the predator. It's somewhat low tech but works. Another good thing is there is always at least one person on the property 24/7.


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## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

Awesome! Thanks for sharing. You’ve got some happy chicks with that setup, I’m sure!  No suggestions personally, I like it though.


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