Adding Teenagers to the Big Girl Flock
So your little floofs have grown up and are now big smelly teenagers and it is time to get them out of the house. I can’t help you with your human kids as it is hard to fledge them in a time of quarantine, but I can help with your chicken kids.
First thing you need is something that is functionally equivalent to a small or medium dog kennel. These are easy to find used on Craigslist, FB marketplace, etc. or new at the Feed Store or Amazon. Remove the plastic liner tray.
Turn the kennel on its back so that the opening is on the top. The large holes in the bottom are now on the side and will allow your teenagers to come and go, but will keep the big girls out.
Put the liner on the top of the kennel to keep poo from dropping in and to help retain a little heat.
Set your kennel up in the big girl coop, with food and water for the teenagers, and some bedding.
If you live somewhere cold, you may need a brooder plate on a thermocube for a few weeks. The thermocube looks like an outlet but it comes on at 35° and turns off at 45°.
In the late late afternoon, at the farthest corner of the run from Teenagerville, sprinkle meal worms or some other high-value treat for the Big Girls. While they are busy with that, pop the teenagers into their new home.
You will probably need to go out every night for about a week and roost train them: pick up the newbies and put them on the roost. This works best if it is dark.
