Chicks All Grown

It finally happened.  We mixed the two flocks.  Both the baby chicks and the hens are sharing the entire chicken run.  In fact, the only part they cannot get into is the baby chick coop.  That has been closed off and cleaned in readiness for another batch of chicks that we will get far, far, far into the future.  Eleven chickens is enough for now.  

Chicks in front of their baby chick coop for the last time. 

Mike, Laura and I went out to remove the door barriers between the coop runs and to oversee the safe mixing of our flocks.  Our baby chicks were fearless.  They immediately headed through the 'new' opening between the two large wire chicken runs to play on the chicken play structure.  They climbed on it and slide down.  They walked underneath it.  

The hens basically ignored the interlopers although they did enjoy discovering their food and water pans.  So life went on as usual until evening.  That is when I discovered the hens had gone to bed in the big coop but the little guys were back over by their coop although we had locked them out of it.  So Mike and I decided to help them out.  

Mike and I herded our chicks back through both chicken runs and into the run attached to the big coop.  We did this by walking behind them and closing all doorways so they could not go back.  However, once they got over to the entrance to the big coop all forward progress ended.  

None of the seven was the least bit interested in going through that doorway.  They did not even get close.  

So Mike and I helped them. Mike picked up each bird and thrust it through the doorway.  I was stationed near the doorway preventing them from coming back out.  

It worked.  Not only did we get them all in there and kept them there by closing the door but the little chicks actually got up on the roosts.  We know this because we were peeking in the windows.  We did notice that the hens held their pecking order by hoarding the highest roosts.  

It only took two more nights before all the chickens were putting themselves to bed at night.  The second night the chicks were trying but one of the hens was exerting her role in the pecking order and was keeping them out.  Once we got the chicks into the coop and the door shut, she then perched above them on the roost and was pecking those beneath her on the head.  Mike straightened things out by moving her to another roost.  

Since then a routine has been established.  We know this because we have been looking in the windows again.  What a relief!  Finally our babies are all grown and one their own!  No more letting them out in the morning or putting them to bed at night.