- Oct 21, 2009
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Hi! Today I decided to free range my chickens together for the first time. My flock consists of one established rooster (Cookie Monster), one established hen (Bertram), and their daughter (Miracle). Once Miracle was big enough to go outside, I built her a pen next to Cookie Monster's and Bertram's coop. I would leave her in her pen an hour or two, then, during the day, and then, she overnighted there.
Then I needed to leave town for about a week so I couldn't work on integrating them anymore. I was given a new coop, and set it beside the other one. I put Miracle in the new coop. They couldn't see each other, but they did communicate some, it seemed.
The coops are at my mom's place of work. I need to pare down to only one coop, so I want to get them integrated. I have the opportunity only for the next two days to free range them and maybe integrate them that way.
I hoped I could open both coop's doors, and that all the chickens would free range. I read that that could be a rather painless way of introducing Miracle to my established flock.
I opened Cookie Monster and Bertram's door. They stayed put. I opened Miracle's door. She came out. I left both coop doors open so they could run back in. About a minute later, Cookie Monster ran out and chased Miracle from one side of the yard to the other. I hoped she would run back into her coop, but she didn't. She ran into a thicket. Satisfied, Cookie Monster crowed and returned to see what I was doing in his coop. (I was trying to convince Bertram to come out, so she could distract Cookie Monster.) I left before he came. They have stayed in their coop-- it's cooler in there.
Miracle has not come out of the thicket.
Is this going to work? Will they get integrated this way? It seems Miracle knows she isn't welcome. Will she try again, do you think? Is there something I am missing? In this situation, is this the best way to integrate them?
Then I needed to leave town for about a week so I couldn't work on integrating them anymore. I was given a new coop, and set it beside the other one. I put Miracle in the new coop. They couldn't see each other, but they did communicate some, it seemed.
The coops are at my mom's place of work. I need to pare down to only one coop, so I want to get them integrated. I have the opportunity only for the next two days to free range them and maybe integrate them that way.
I hoped I could open both coop's doors, and that all the chickens would free range. I read that that could be a rather painless way of introducing Miracle to my established flock.
I opened Cookie Monster and Bertram's door. They stayed put. I opened Miracle's door. She came out. I left both coop doors open so they could run back in. About a minute later, Cookie Monster ran out and chased Miracle from one side of the yard to the other. I hoped she would run back into her coop, but she didn't. She ran into a thicket. Satisfied, Cookie Monster crowed and returned to see what I was doing in his coop. (I was trying to convince Bertram to come out, so she could distract Cookie Monster.) I left before he came. They have stayed in their coop-- it's cooler in there.
Miracle has not come out of the thicket.
Is this going to work? Will they get integrated this way? It seems Miracle knows she isn't welcome. Will she try again, do you think? Is there something I am missing? In this situation, is this the best way to integrate them?
