5 New Birds to be Integrated to existing flock of 18

[Ted Brown]

I have a newly acquired group of one cockerel and 4 pullets, hatched June 2022, to be integrated into an existing flock of 2 roos (1 to be culled) and 18 pullets/hens. Coop is 160 sq ft, covered secure run is ~400; pop door open 24/7.

New group has been quarantined for 30+ days.

What are the possible integration strategies?

 

[aart]

Can you split your coop and run with mesh so the new birds can live within sight but not be able to touch?

 

[Ted Brown]

@aart people door is on one side, pop door on the other, roosts at the back.

I could place wire panels front to back, at least a day's project as I start to think about it.

No easy alternative it would seem.

 

[aart]

No easy alternative it would seem.

Not really, at least in the coop.
But maybe in the run with an are sheltered enough to make safe and weather tight night quarters?

 

[Ted Brown]

Not really, at least in the coop.
But maybe in the run with an are sheltered enough to make safe and weather tight night quarters?

Hmmmm...

What type of mesh were you thinking?

 

[Ted Brown]

@aart Run vs coop?

An advantage of sub dividing the coop would be to have the roosts also divided.

Significant?

 

[aart]

What type of mesh were you thinking?

Any kind of fencing taht would keep the new birds from touching the old birds.

An advantage of sub dividing the coop would be to have the roosts also divided.

Yes, it would be great to have the coop divided, but difficult with your coop.
Why you would need to put a place for the new birds to roost sheltered from preds and weather.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

good advice above. I only wanted to add that you might have one too many boys. The average best ratio is no more than 1 rooster for every 6-8 hens, but that can vary. Some boys get along well in smaller flocks, and some need 20 hens each.

 

[Ted Brown]

@BarnyardChaos the ratio quote above came from the Prince Woods book on Fresh Air Housing not me. His context was 400 Sq Ft coop plus run/free range space.

At that size multiple roos is feasible, your ratio comment is appreciated as I have/will have that circumstance.

 

[Mrs. K]

Introducing a new rooster to established roosters might be the difficult trick. They don't call it cock fighting for nothing. There is going to be a mad scramble to the whole pecking order, and who gets the hens, and who gets run off.

Generally - need several feed stations, maybe 4-5 places set up so birds eating at one, cannot be seen at another. Hide outs and multiple levels of platforms and roosts in the run have helped me.

A lot depends on where the new ones are now. I think that a big problem when integrating is the sense of territorial rights. Often times people put birds into a strange coop/run, and all the rest know they are strange, and so do the new birds.

I have had pretty good luck with letting the established flock out to wander around the yard. Locking the new birds IN the coop/run. Feed both groups along the fence line. Let them explore, find food and water without being chased for their lives. I would do this a couple days, and at night, I would put the new ones back where they were sleeping, let the established girls in.

3 days later, I would let everyone out of the coop/run but leave everything open. Keep an eye on them, but I would not expect much with 5 new ones, the more you add at one time, the easier it is. AND I would expect at least a few of them to follow the others back to the coop you want everyone in. Some of the new bunch might return to where they have been sleeping, but day 4 or 5, I would lock this up so nothing can sleep there, and toss any die hards into the floor of the coop I want.

This takes advantage of the fence around your coop/run that you already have. It is a bit of dinking around moving birds - but I have had very good luck with it.

However, I am positive this would work with your hens...not so sure about adding that third rooster... I think there might be a very good chance that this is not going to work real well. Generally speaking, the more roosters you have, the greater the chance of it not going well.

Why are you keeping that many roosters? You really don't need them for the number of birds you have?

Mrs K