Combining Old and New

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smithmj

smithmj

In the Brooder
5 Years
Jul 14, 2014
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My littles are 3 months old now. They have been in the coop with the adults (5 hens), but with a partition, which opens into a partitioned part of the same run as the hens. The hens roam when I am home, and I let them out as soon as I get home from work. So, they have been living near each other for 2 months now, but any time a little gets out of its partition, the hens are right there to defend their space. My plan is to open up the partitions in the coop and in the pen and let them mingle (er, fight). But not leave the run/ coop for a while.

Any suggestions on keeping this transition under control? And ideas on how long before I let them roam?
 
You are doing every thing right!:) Probably in another week to four days you can start letting them mix. Give them lots of boredom busters so the pecking is eased.
 
3 months might be a bit young yet....usually good to wait until the littles are as physically big as the hens are.
How many littles are there?
How big is your total unpartitioned coop and run (feet x feet)?

Might be best to let them free range together at first to see how that goes...maybe letting the littles free range without the olders until they learn to go in and out of their run. Let them take turns ranging, then try all out at once.

Places to hide and/or get up and away in the coop and run will help the littles get away from the olders.
There will be some chasing and pecking, but as long as no blood is drawn and no one gets pinned down or trapped, let them peck at each other, it's just how they do.

Just some thoughts.
 
Last edited:
I also have 3-month-old "littles" that have spent the last 2 months separated from the big girls by a wire partition. The older hens are free range during the day. Today the door to the run that the smaller hens, and the lone rooster that was supposed to be a pullet, have been in was opened to allow them to roam. So far - four hours - there have been no incidents other than a little chasing and some extra loud clucking. The bigger hens almost seem to be watching out for the younger birds....mostly staying within 10 or 15 feet of where the little ones are scratching and pecking.
 

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