Adding chickens

[ryansmom06]

Hi I’m wanting to add my young flock with a young rooster to a already established flock of hens. I’ve already noticed he is acting protective of the littles. Any ideas would be awesome.

 

[KentuckyRooster]

Usually easiest and safest to do a separate cage that they can see eachother through so they get used to eachother first.

 

[Isadora]

Hi I’m wanting to add my young flock with a young rooster to a already established flock of hens. I’ve already noticed he is acting protective of the littles. Any ideas would be awesome.

Can you provide additional details?
How many in the established flock and how many in the new? What kind of coop accomodations do you have? Do one of the flocks live in the coop already or are they all moving to a new place?

 

[ryansmom06]

Can you provide additional details?
How many in the established flock and how many in the new? What kind of coop accomodations do you have? Do one of the flocks live in the coop already or are they all moving to a new place?

My established flock as 12 hens age ranged 4 yrs to 6 mo. The young flock has 6 hens and a rooster (that I did not order). They are 11 weeks. They will all be moving into the established hens coop. They are in a smaller coop and run right now.

 

[Isadora]

My established flock as 12 hens age ranged 4 yrs to 6 mo. The young flock has 6 hens and a rooster (that I did not order). They are 11 weeks. They will all be moving into the established hens coop. They are in a smaller coop and run right now.

Considering the amount of birds you're going to integrate, do you have a way to portion off part of it for the younger flock? Having them in the same area where the original flock can see them but not attack them goes a long way towards a smooth integration.
I have a fenced in portion of my coop for this purpose and after about a week of them living in the same coop, I have a little door that the smaller birds can fit through but the larger birds can't, that way they can escape if another bird starts picking on them.

 

[ryansmom06]

Considering the amount of birds you're going to integrate, do you have a way to portion off part of it for the younger flock? Having them in the same area where the original flock can see them but not attack them goes a long way towards a smooth integration.
I have a fenced in portion of my coop for this purpose and after about a week of them living in the same coop, I have a little door that the smaller birds can fit through but the larger birds can't, that way they can escape if another bird starts picking on them.

Yea that is a good solution but I don’t have that option. I’m more worried about the rooster he’s already protective of the littles. Do I separate him from all of them into a cage in the run? I’ve integrated hens before but I don’t know the best way to add him into the mix of his hens and the older ones?

 

[Isadora]

Yea that is a good solution but I don’t have that option. I’m more worried about the rooster he’s already protective of the littles. Do I separate him from all of them into a cage in the run? I’ve integrated hens before but I don’t know the best way to add him into the mix of his hens and the older ones?

I don't think separating him from everyone else would be necessary. I would integrate all the new ones at the same time.

 

[3KillerBs]

Here are some useful articles on integration:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-“see-but-don’t-touch”-method.67839/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/adding-to-your-flock.47756/