Lost one, want to add more...

[rosemarythyme]

As to how old the new birds are, we haven't decided how to do that yet. We were thinking of getting some new girls from our friend. She has some that are something like eight weeks old. I don't know if that is considered "older" or still chicks.

Assuming you've been on her property or she's been to yours any time recently, any possible diseases have likely already been transferred from your/her shoes, clothing, etc. so biological quarantine is less of a concern.

8 weeks is kind of in between, they're not nearly grown yet but not babies anymore. Old enough that temperature requirements are not a concern, young enough that they're still noticeably smaller than the older birds, but nearly large enough that using "chick only" doors won't work as well since they're getting to be too large for them.

If the older birds are usually free ranging you might try enclosing the younger birds in the run area only (I think you mentioned the run can be closed off?) during the day for see but no touch, so the older ones can go to the coop to lay. Figure on doing that 1-2 weeks to start before attempting to let them meet.

If the "coop" half of the run is safer for them to stay in at night, then fencing them in under the coop should work fine during that period.

 

[Happy hen lover]

That is EXACTLY what I was telling my wife a couple hours ago. My plan is to block off that portion underneath their nesting area, and make a door to the outside, so that we could let them out to free range while the others were in the coop, and then switch them after a few hours.

My wife was concerned that they wouldn't have any high place to roost, but I don't think the chickens would care. They would be safe and sound down there in six inches of soft pine shavings, along with food, water, and the occasional treat of scratch and mealworms from us (along with table scraps almost daily). I'm not a chicken whisperer, so do you think them not having any high area to roost is a problem??? I could put them in the big run to "play" but there really isn't any room for a high perch under the nesting area.

She has a good point. They need to be trained to go to coop at night.

Question how much roost space ( how long is roost bar? ) do you have?
My worry is how to coop train them? with them under coop. I think minimum coop space with secured run attached is 3-4sq ft per bird. And 10 to 12" of roost space. If you have 4 +3 equal 70" -
I'd be more tempted to toss out older girls after laying( assuming they lay in coop) and let the babies play get used to coop, till dusk. Just a thought.

 

[Soujrnr]

We got three more girls! We have seven now. Our friend said she has introduced new girls by putting them side by side in the coop/run seperated by a wire fence, and give them a few days to acclimate to one another. After that, she said she opens the barrier between them at night and they "find" each other as they mingle in the morning and they're fine.

We did that and, sure enough, they didn't care in the morning about being all together. They are getting along great!! The three new ones tend to stay by themselves a bit more, but they all do intermingle well.