Adding a young rooster to an integrating mixed age flock

[sakerobot]

We have 8 adult hens (2 Buff Orpingtons and 6 Barred Rocks) who are 1 year and 1 month old.
7 young hens who are 13 weeks old (3 Wyandottes, a Dark Brahma, Bielefelder, Lavender Orpington and a Spessex)

They share approximately 200 sqft of fenced yard space (free range when we can watch them). The original coop is 8x8 and houses the adult hens, the new coop is 4x4 and houses the young hens.

The two flocks have been roaming together for a couple weeks. Currently both flocks keep going into their respective coop at night (with an exception tonight when I found one adult hen in their coop, which kept them hesitant from entering it with her).

We're also getting a young Delaware rooster tomorrow, who's about 14 weeks. There is no third coop available, so I'll probably manually place him into one of the coops on the second night, depending on how things go.

Ultimately I want the entire flock to be roosting inside the big coop. Any suggestions on how to make this happen? Might the rooster entice the 15 hens to go into the big one over time, or should I just swap the small ones into the big one at night at some point?

 

[Yardmom]

If you want them to be in the one coop you will need to home them to it. One way is to put them in each night. Another would be to lock them in for a week or so.
If they are mixing during the day they may eventually coop together, but it could take a while. I personally have 2 coops. Birds all free range, but flocks never mix . Birds return to home coop every night.

 

[sakerobot]

If you want them to be in the one coop you will need to home them to it. One way is to put them in each night. Another would be to lock them in for a week or so.
If they are mixing during the day they may eventually coop together, but it could take a while. I personally have 2 coops. Birds all free range, but flocks never mix . Birds return to home coop every night.

It has been a couple weeks and the integration is going well. I think we will end up moving the 4x4 coop next to the 8x8, to see if maybe eventually the younger ones may want to go "higher". I was planning on making the 4x4 the coop for broody hens to use, but I could always build something else for that purpose.

The rooster is about 15.5 weeks and he seems to have matched the BRs in height, the advanced roostering hasn't kicked in yet. We introduced him on the second day and he blended right in with the small ones, but then the older hens harassed him into too much panic. I separated the two flocks for a week to let them settle, and now they are fine.

For now we'll take the "we'll see how things go" approach. I'll try to casually update this with any changes for the sake of research.

 

[Mrs. K]

Generally, eventually and personally, I am willing to work on their terms, some of the birds will mix up. It will probably be when the pullets begin laying. At that time, I would just close the small coop.

However, that will put you close to max using the rule of thumb- 4 square feet per bird. Generally, kind of, sort of, almost always that will work. Sometimes it doesn't. Pay attention to the tension of your flock. If the flock develops a victim, or a couple of victims, it might be telling you, that you need more space or to cull some birds.

A healthy flock IMO, has birds come into the flock, and some leave the flock. They really are not a forever pet... well except for Mrs. Feathers, most of us have a favorite.

My point is, be willing to adjust your flock for peace in the flock. Stressed flocks are not nice to have.

Mrs K

 

[sakerobot]

To conclude this thread: time passed, the younger hens started laying (all nesting boxes have been in the big coop only) and the rooster grew up twice taller than any hen.

The other week I redesigned the roosting bars in the big coop and locked the small coop one evening, and I also locked the gate to the yard with the small coop. That night the younger ones were out a bit later than usual, but once the rooster went in, they followed him within minutes.

They've been sleeping together there ever since. No fighting or bad behavior that I've noticed, the general discipline seems to have improved once the rooster completed his rite of passage. No one pecks at each other while they figure out their roosting spots. Everyone seems happy.