Integrating young pullets with mature hens - what's the best age?

[unbaked pegga]

I never know if I am posting this correctly, but I have a very small, I think, Crele Orpington. I have her in a large dog cage. She has been there for two weeks. I want to let her out but she is very light and fast as quicksilver. She almost escaped once and I was able to grab her by The leg or I am sure she would have flown away. My other three Orpington's are somewhat aggressive towards her and I don't want to let her out and have them either hurt her, or her fly away. The picture I am enclosing is not real clear but how much bigger does this group think she should be before I turned her loose here is another picture showing the difference in size

 

[Mrs. K]

Before I turn her out, I would put the feed bowl right next to the cage wall, inside and outside of the cage, so they are eating together for a bit.

Introducing a single bird is one of the most difficult introductions, a single smaller bird into an established flock increases the difficulty.

I think I would wait a couple of more weeks. And then, at night when things are roosted up, you might try changing their places. So put all three of your hens in that cage for a couple of days, and let the new one out to explore the run and coop. This does two things, it lets the old chicken see this bird in their territory, and get used to that idea, and it lets the new bird explore this area, and get comfortable in it, without being attacked. Set up some hideouts in the run, a pallet against a wall or up on bricks, making sure that there are two exits for each hideout, so something does not get trapped.

Then after two days, when the new bird is roosting in the coop (you may have to put her there a few times) let one of the older birds out at just before dark. They should both roost in the coop. Do that until you do not see scuffling between the new/old pair.

Then let them all out, very close to dark. Let them work it out, unless there is blood.

Introducing a single bird is one of the most difficult introductions, a single smaller bird into an established flock increases the difficulty.

Good luck,

Mrs K

 

[QueenMisha]

Before I turn her out, I would put the feed bowl right next to the cage wall, inside and outside of the cage, so they are eating together for a bit.

Introducing a single bird is one of the most difficult introductions, a single smaller bird into an established flock increases the difficulty.

I think I would wait a couple of more weeks. And then, at night when things are roosted up, you might try changing their places. So put all three of your hens in that cage for a couple of days, and let the new one out to explore the run and coop. This does two things, it lets the old chicken see this bird in their territory, and get used to that idea, and it lets the new bird explore this area, and get comfortable in it, without being attacked. Set up some hideouts in the run, a pallet against a wall or up on bricks, making sure that there are two exits for each hideout, so something does not get trapped. 

Then after two days, when the new bird is roosting in the coop (you may have to put her there a few times) let one of the older birds out at just before dark. They should both roost in the coop. Do that until you do not see scuffling between the new/old pair.

Then let them all out, very close to dark. Let them work it out, unless there is blood. 

Introducing a single bird is one of the most difficult introductions, a single smaller bird into an established flock increases the difficulty.

Good luck,

Mrs K

x2... except the use of pronouns. @unbaked pegga The bird in your photos is without a doubt a rooster.

 

[Beekissed]

Yep, that's a dude!

 

[Mrs. K]

I missed that.

 

[unbaked pegga]

I really dont exactly how old she is. Not over 8 or 9 weeks I wouldthink.. That is how long ago I ordered her. Her feathers on her flanks have not come in. She is bald there

8 or 9 weeks? If the bird is that young, then he is definitely, 100%, unequivocally a cockerel.

 

[unbaked pegga]

I really dont exactly how old she is. Not over 8 or 9 weeks I wouldthink.. That is how long ago I ordered her. Her feathers on her flanks have not come in. She is bald there

8 or 9 weeks? If the bird is that young, then he is definitely, 100%, unequivocally a cockerel.

That little chicken was killed by a raccoon. I still can't think about it. It has devastated me. I had gotten SO attached to him

 

[QueenMisha]

That little chicken was killed by a raccoon. I still can't think about it. It has devastated me. I had gotten SO attached to him

So sorry for your loss.

 

[Tulsaoldhen]

I'm 2 years late to respond to your message, but in case someone new has this issue -- as I am -- perhaps my situation will be of interest.

I am currently in process of integrating a calm, sweet adult Welsumer hen with my flock of 3 8-week-old pullets. The pullets are in a somewhat small coop with run, but are allowed to free range in my urban backyard a few hours late in the day each day (longer time out on weekends when I'm home to watch out for them -- we also have a hawk problem).

Nellie, the Welly, is in a dog crate with enclosed nest box attached. Her crate sits next to the chicks pen, so they can see each other. She's been doing the free range thing with the pullets for 2 days now. First day, they ignored each other. Second day, Nellie kept following the pullets, acting like she wanted to join the group. The pullets ran away from her each time she tried, though.

After dark last night we decided to slip Nellie in with the young girls when they were sleeping. All went okay for awhile. But it wasn't long before we heard lots of squawks and banging around in the coop. The young girls were huddled in a corner and Nellie was sprawled out, taking up as much room as she could. She was pecking the youngsters when they got close. (I thought they were supposed to be asleep!)
Anyway, after a couple of hours, my daughter got worried that we'd find 3 dead pullets this morning, so we moved Nellie back to her isolation pen.
I would like to know if this is normal nighttime integration behavior and if we need to just let them work out their differences, or if waiting until the young ones get older is the best idea.
The threads I've read here lead me to think waiting a few more weeks might be the best for doing another sleepover.

 

[Beekissed]

It's normal and any given evening I can hear my flock going through the same sounds...flapping, squawking, thumping and bumping as the young birds forget their place on the roosts and the older gals remind them. It's no big deal and no one will wind up dead.

Just as long as you have plenty of space, roosting at different levels so the young birds can actually roost at night without having to get on the same roost as the older birds, they will all settle in just fine. There will always be nighttime squabbles....I don't know that I've ever heard an evening coop that was all quiet and peaceful, no matter the ages, breeds or sex of the birds in the coop.