2 flock integration PLUS hen hatching chicks

[MSO]

I have 2 flocks. 6x 1 year old easter egger hens In a small coop and enclosure and 14x 3 month old mixed chicks (7 hens,7 roosters I hatched in an incubator from someone’s backyard eggs) the 14 are in a big coop and bigger enclosure. I want to move the other 6 into the big coop with them. They are across the property from each other so have not had many interactions and don’t know each other. One of my 6 hens is hatching eggs this weekend too!!! 9 of them if they all hatch. How do I integrate? Is now the right time to integrate? Should I integrate the 5 hens and leave the 6th and her new hatchlings in the small coop? Should I wait a while for the new chicks to be bigger and integrate the hens and the new chicks into the big coop?Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Alaskan]

I have 2 flocks. 6x 1 year old easter egger hens In a small coop and enclosure and 14x 3 month old mixed chicks (7 hens,7 roosters I hatched in an incubator from someone’s backyard eggs) the 14 are in a big coop and bigger enclosure. I want to move the other 6 into the big coop with them. They are across the property from each other so have not had many interactions and don’t know each other. One of my 6 hens is hatching eggs this weekend too!!! 9 of them if they all hatch. How do I integrate? Is now the right time to integrate? Should I integrate the 5 hens and leave the 6th and her new hatchlings in the small coop? Should I wait a while for the new chicks to be bigger and integrate the hens and the new chicks into the big coop?Any advice is appreciated.

Hummmm

I would prefer to not move a hen right before or after hatch.

It would be best to wait until the chicks are at least 2 weeks old, or a month, then try to move them all at once. (Hen with chicks, and the rest in that tiny coop)

However, if the small coop is so small that some of the hens bully the chicks... move the hens and leave mom and chicks.

 

[aart]

14 are in a big coop and bigger enclosure.

How big is "big and bigger" in feet by feet?
How far away....and do you free range?
Dimensions and pics would be great here.

Whatcha gonna do with all those boys(and probably more in the eggs under the hen)?

Oh, and..... Welcome to BYC! @MSO
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[MSO]

How big is "big and bigger" in feet by feet?
How far away....and do you free range?
Dimensions and pics would be great here.

Whatcha gonna do with all those boys(and probably more in the eggs under the hen)?

Oh, and..... Welcome to BYC! @MSO
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 2219796

How big is "big and bigger" in feet by feet?
How far away....and do you free range?
Dimensions and pics would be great here.

Whatcha gonna do with all those boys(and probably more in the eggs under the hen)?

Oh, and..... Welcome to BYC! @MSO
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 2219796

I am in northwestern Ontario, Canada. The roosters are meals come the fall, except for 1. My hen hatched out 7, 1 died and 2 just didn’t hatch so 6 new chicks!! I will post pictures shortly. Our “big coop” I call the chicken barn is 12’x 12’ and the pen is around 600square feet. They cannot freerange at the moment because we are in town and don’t have a fenced off property. The small coop is about 60-70 feet across but with a house between. That coop is 8’x6’ and the run is 16’x6’.

 

[MSO]

Also, I do free range the hens from the small coop around the garden and lawn area on that side of the yard for an hour or 2 most days but have to stay out and watch they stay in the area.

 

[aart]

Sound like good spaces...and Dinners!!
Have the older birds ever lived in the big coop/run?
Maybe you could partition off part of the big setup to keep the groups physically separated for a few weeks before allowing them to be mingle. Maybe even swap them back and forth every few days or so to scramble up the territoriality issues.

Keep in mind these tips about.....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/