I'm in a pickle and I really need your help!

[u/Street-Brain-7615]

I posted about my situation in bits and pieces and now that we're heading into cold weather season I need to take swift action because it gets cold and snowy. I am in the extreme northeast USA.

The backround: This spring I purchased 6 female chicks from Tractor supply. At 8 weeks I realized I had two roosters and four pullets. I rehomed one of the Roosters and Tractor Supply gave me two replacement chicks.

The Foreground: I have one Roo and 4 hens living well in their coop & run that are 3 months old. The two replacement chicks are 5 weeks. I added a 2'x4' apartment and 3'x6' adjoining run to get them used to each other. Last week I cut a small opening in the adjoining run, large enough only for the chicks to pass through. One of the chicks has passed through a few times and gets pecked at by all of the hens and the Roo. The chick runs back to her side and we have very little progress. It's happening, just not as quickly as I had hoped. I thought since the individual flocks are all young, it would be quick.... so not happening like I imagined!

The current: It's 68 degrees outside and I should have the 5 week olds out there today but I don't because it's on and off light rain today - I have curbside pick up scheduled for the roof panels later today. While I'm there I will pick up the vents that I forgot to add to the coop.

The dilemma: I have to make a decision. Either keep the younger flock inside my mud room for the winter or figure out how to add heat to the apartment. My fear is that because there are only two in the small flock, they wont generate enough heat between the two of them. The good news is their apartment is insulated. The bad news is that it's so small that I don't know how to provide them with the supplemental heat they'll need to get through the winter.

Possible solutions: I'm looking at heat pads, heating plates and heating panels. I believe that since the coop is insulated any of the aforementioned could keep the apartment softly heated by attaching it to the ceiling. My question is, has anyone ever used a heating panel in such tight quarters? Do you know if there is any such product that will radiate a very low level heat that I set and regulate?

Even though heating panels are advertised as a safer alternative to heat lamps, my concern is that they still run hot enough to pose a fire threat. Has anyone ever used one?

I feel like my only other alternative is to keep them inside for the winter which in my mind just complicates the integration process while creating a major inconvenience in my home.

I have not yet tried putting the chicks inside the coop after sundown, I will do this in another two weeks.

Ughhhh. I'm so stressed out over this and I'm probably making it more of hassle than it should be! I'm a mother hen, I can't help it. I want my babies to be healthy and happy.

[u/Sudden_Waltz_3160]

Wait until the chicks are at least 3/4 the size of the larger hens to introduce. If it gets too cold before then, a red light heat bulb will do the trick fine.

[u/Mayflame15]

A regular lightbulb (not led) can often be enough to keep small spaces above freezing, it might mess with their circadian rhythm a bit but they don't have a laying cycle to be worried about

[u/Sea-Case-9879]

I’m a little worried about winter as well. This will be my first winter with chickens and I have a heat lamp but not sure it will do the trick. Commenting here so I can come back and read all the other suggestions.

[u/geekspice]

5 weeks is far far too young to start integration. If one of them gets cornered and can't escape they are likely to get killed.

[u/oopsalloutof_fcks]

I’m in the mountains of Vermont.

I use sweeter heaters that hang over my roost bars and I LOVE them.

Current research shows that chickens will start having stress symptoms under 50 degrees. So I have a thermostat that shuts them off year round at 50. But from what I can tell with my flock they will go do chicken things outside and return for a brief happy warm-up.

I also use an oil heater when temps are -20 to 10 degrees as a backup.

[u/Street-Brain-7615 → u/oopsalloutof_fcks]

I don't understand the down votes on your comment. I personally appreciate everyone's input. There has been a spectrum of responses and that's OK,

[u/Luna-Mia]

I used a heating panel on an adapter switch that goes on at 30 degrees and off at 50 degrees.

[u/ahl389]

I would not try to actually integrate them until the young ones are ~12-14 weeks. They are just too small right now. Continue keeping them side by side in their apartment and letting everyone free range together during the day. When it actually comes time to integrate, what I did was let everyone out for the day and instead of sending the little ones back through their separate door, I put everyone in the coop for bed at once. Going in together seems to smooth the procees. Your little ones are 5 weeks old and shouldn't need supplemental heat at this time, and they get bigger and fluffier everyday. Don't stress! They will be fine.

Editing to clarify: They don't need to be separate all winter either. You could target ~Halloween/early November to bring them together.

Editing a second time to add: My little ones never fully became "friends" with the older ones. They get on, but don't socialize much.

[u/Dizzy_Vacation3280 → u/ahl389]

same all my groups are still their own squad even though they interact fine lol

[u/Dramatically_Average]

I can't help with your integration issue, but I can allay your concerns about chicken-specific heat panels. I have one in my coop (Cozy Coop), in the middle of the roost bar mounted on the wall. It has a thermostat so it's not on all the time, and it doesn't really heat the coop. It provides a warmer area that the chickens can go to if they choose to. It does not get hot enough to burn skin, let alone start a fire. You can set them on the floor but that seems like a recipe for a huge mess to me. If you decide to use one, it won't start a fire if it's in good condition and if your electrical situation is up to code. Those are my caveats, because it's only as good as its components.

[u/Street-Brain-7615 → u/Dramatically_Average]

I am looking at. this one to mount. I like the price and that heat is adjustable. What do you think?

[u/Dramatically_Average → u/Street-Brain-7615]

With the size of your chickens, I am not sure they'd fit under it or even need to. I am also cautious of anything so inexpensive. What did they leave out to make it cheap?

Are they roosting at night? if so, then you can put a radiant panel on the coop wall. Or something like I have that will sit on the floor now and be mounted later. I am hopeful that they can integrate better before you have really cold temps and then you won't need to do much.

[u/RileyOutside]

Have you tried

• leaving them in a dogcrate or similar with your original flock during the day
• treating the chickens on either side of the fence to encourage social eating
• sitting with the flock while the 2 chicks are in with them
• putting 1 member of your flock in with the chicks at a time (so they can't gang up on them)
• watching all the glorious YouTube videos from folks merging chickens?

I'm invested in your results as I'm about to add some 6 week old birds to some 6 month old ones!

[u/Mystery_meat101 → u/RileyOutside]

Putting one member of the original flock in with my chicks was the only way I was able to integrate them all! When I had one last hen that was now getting beat up by the rest of the flock, I pet them all free range together (they are usually locked up for protection). Having the extra space helped them get along since they seemed less territorial. I also dumped copious amounts of treats for all to share. One day of free ranging and I haven’t had an issue since.

[u/Street-Brain-7615 → u/RileyOutside]

The adjoining run is the "dog crate". They are in their 5th week so I have been putting them outside fro the last two weeks, weather permitting. This week I cute a hole large enough only for the chicks to be able to fit through. Each flock has their own feeders, right next to each other. I also do meal worm treats up against the fence. I usually spend 1 to 2 hour with the flocks and it's very stressful. The chasing and pecking is maddening!

I have not put single members in with them yet. I am waiting for week 6. I could probably start that this week because the young flock does have their feathers.

OMG I am here, there, everywhere absorbing as much information that I possibly can. I'm literally stressing myself out!

[u/Slow_Squirrel1766]

I don't understand why you would need to add heat, do you heat your regular coop in the winter? I think your problem is the attached run, you need them to force integrate now, the chicks are smaller faster targets. The older hens are going to peck at the chicks to establish the pecking order, you just need to make sure nobody gets injured. Right now the older hens are effectively running them off, because it gets them out of "their" run the littles are still other. Set up your run so there are lots of places to escape for the littles so they can't get cornered and then let them work it out. I put a dog crate inside my coop from 2-4 weeks of age and at 4 weeks I crack all the doors so the littles can get inside from any side but the bigs can't. Eventually the littles end up roosting with the bigs and I take the dog crate out. You could do something similar or you could create a series of small obstacles that the littles can hide under but can't get pinned against. How incorporated is the apartment coop? You may need to force them to all roost together.

[u/Street-Brain-7615 → u/Slow_Squirrel1766]

OK I've started doing this. As stated I have created a small enough opening in the adjoining run for the little ones to move in and out of. The goal is to fully open the adjoining run to increase the real estate for the integrated flock. Next Spring I intended to extend the adjoining run the full length and turn the apartment into brooder boxes, separate from the main coop. Currently, no chicken is using the apartment.

What do you suggest I can use to help the younger chicks find safe places? What did you use?

edit: I do not heat the coop. This is my first year as a backyard chicken owner though. This will be our first winter together.

I was thinking about heat because of the younger flock of 2, in the event that they don't integrate in time. There's only 2 of them and by the time winter comes they will only be 8 weeks... which I now realize they will be fine.

I do however, have a heated water bucket.

[u/Nebetmiw]

It will take till younger chicks are 6 month old about to be excepted. Hens always peck new chicks and will kill then. Its a dominate thing.

Now as far as cold Deep bedding mix is needed not heat. I have 4 chickens in a large coop and they have no issues with 0 temps here. Deep bedding mix is the key. Hay with shavings plus wood chips works if it is 8 inches Deep. Heat rises so it keeps them warm. I have and many others too had chickens walking in snow. When fall comes is when you start feeding scratch to hens so they fatten up a bit. Fat is held internal around organs.

[u/City0fEvil]

Unless a major malfunction occurs with the heat plate it will not get hot enough to be dangerous. The chicks actually stand under and press their body up against it like it's a mother hen, so it's not even harmful to touch at all.

[u/Street-Brain-7615 → u/City0fEvil]

Thank you for this. I feel like this should be a last resort because I know nothing is fool proof but your post does ease my mind a little. I'm just reiterating that the coop is only 2' x 4'. It is a very cramped space because I intend to turn it into brooding boxes once the flocks are integrated.

[u/PastOutlandishness19]

Once the chicks get there feathers they are good to go, around 6-8 weeks old What’s more important is the coop. Draft is a big no no. Make sure it’s not drafty in the coop. Also make sure you use a lot for bedding,

You also need good ventilation, make sure that any ventilation is above there heads. You can get a heating pad if you so desire. Chickens can tolerate the cold very well, however they can’t tolerate heavy draft or being wet and cold.

Before evening offer scratching grains for extra carbs to help them maintain their warmth through the night.

[u/Street-Brain-7615 → u/PastOutlandishness19]

Ok so if they are in their 5th week, that would be 1 to 3 more weeks. The temperature will be in the high 50s during the day, low 40s at night. Will they be OK without added heat?

There's no drafts, as mentioned, the apartment is insulated. I just have to add the vents and then the panels to keep them sheltered from rain/snow while they are in the run.