Adding 6 wo leghorns with 9 wo girls......will this work? New Idea #6

[Thomas423]

Currently there are 6 - 6 week old leghorns in the 4x8 portion of the coop and 12 - 9 week old brown egg layers in the 8x8 portion of the coop. We have been hand carring the older girls out to their temp run during the day. The leghorns are too flighty to catch, let alone carry to a pen.

We expect the new attached pen to be completed later this week. It is 8 x 7 under a roof plus 12 x 12 foot. About 200 sq ft total....should be enough room for all 18 girls.

So here's the plan:
I'm thinking that since the older girls have never been in the new pen, that might be a good time to mix the girls together. The older girls should go right out and then I can chase the leghorns out while the older ones are checking out the new place.

What do you all think? Will it work?

The leghorns are about 2/3 the size of the older girls.

Editted to add: I also thought of another idea....Post #6

 

[Judy]

Here's a good article on this:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

I like the idea of putting them together after dark on the roost, then offering special treats very early in the AM with a lot of fanfare, to distract them.

 

[chickenwhisperer123]

You will never know until you try!!
Just be sure to keep an eye on them an interveine if needed.

Good Luck!!
Jason

 

[Mahonri]

They are close enough in age it should be a good transition.

 

[cmom]

Here is another BYC Members page in integratung chicks/flocks.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=14951

 

[Thomas423]

Thanks for the posts and links. I've been reading and thinking about this since I got the Leghorns.

New Idea:

After the attached run is done, let the leghorns use it for a couple of days to get used to it and then maybe add the big girls one or two at a time. That way I can watch who is nice and who is not. Plus maybe the leghorns will be more comfortable with the run without having the bigger girls bossing them around. My only concern with the leghorns is that they are not easy to catch to put back in at bedtime.

I'm also thinking that for the next few days, while we are finishing the run, I'm going to let the leghorns have access to the large section of the coop while the bigger girls are outside in the temp run.

So what do you all think??