Adding hen and rooster to 2 hen/rooster flock.

[farmer boy]

i can add my birds fine without them knowing each other but i free range on 1 acre so i put the new ones outside so there is space and they can hide and get away from the others .. if im adding new hens i keep the new hen with the rooster well the alpha rooster since i have more then one and once he accept her then it works a little better .. my main flock are 5 roosters i have more rooster but they have mates and im breeding them right now and im getting rid of 2 big ones .. and then i have 13 hens that are out with the roosters and then i have 3 more hens and 3 more roosters but they are all in different pens so they can breed .. and i have 2 hens at my house (my main flock is at my grand fathers and they have a big barn) and 7 chicks and 2 ducklings and then i have 7 more chicks coming out of the brooder soon once they are 1 week old im putting them with my chick flock and 2 hens that live outside and then 18 more chicks hatching so i will have a big flock to add with my main flock it will work out fine since the new flock coming in has size and numbers so they will have a group to be in and they will not get picked on as much since they have a big force to fight back in

 

[CyndiChick]

This EE has been in the same coop as the two hens from the time she was about 4 weeks old. (She was in the pen we used as a grow out pen, visible day and night.) these two are just plain nasty, even to the humans lol
So... With a 14x16x9 pen, and essentially two 8x4x4 pens.... How many can fit comfortably? They have roosts and nesting boxes and multiple feed bowls. The pen is shaded, and they get greens every day.

 

[aart]

Sounds like you have plenty of room...I'd just use the smaller pens for isolation of the pecker(s) or the pecked.
I don't have any experience in integration of problem birds, I've just read that it can take time and sometimes just doesn't happen, that large outdoor spaces and treats can help, and a larger group of birds is sometimes easier than a group of 5-6. Good Luck

 

[Mrs. K]

the number that will fit depends on a few factors:
* the size of your birds
* the different breeds that you have, color of birds tend to hang together, an single odd color bird, has a harder time
* the age of your birds, younger full grown birds need more space, older birds get cranky

And this is trial and error, what I found is watch your flock. Sometimes you need to remove a specific chicken, sometimes you need to remove a number of chickens, you will find what works in your set up.

Don't feel guilted into keeping chickens you really don't like, or that are causing trouble for you. To have the happiest of flocks, you have to be comfortable with culling. Some chickens won't ever be friends, some will get along pretty easily.

Mrs K

 

[farmer boy]

the number that will fit depends on a few factors:
* the size of your birds
* the different breeds that you have, color of birds tend to hang together, an single odd color bird, has a harder time
* the age of your birds, younger full grown birds need more space, older birds get cranky

And this is trial and error, what I found is watch your flock. Sometimes you need to remove a specific chicken, sometimes you need to remove a number of chickens, you will find what works in your set up.

Don't feel guilted into keeping chickens you really don't like, or that are causing trouble for you. To have the happiest of flocks, you have to be comfortable with culling. Some chickens won't ever be friends, some will get along pretty easily.

Mrs K

with my flock the breeds and color don't matter with mine i have all different kinds of breeds in mine .. with my alpha rooster there are 3 black hens 1 red 4 barred rocks that stay with him and he is a partridge color and then i have a pure white rooster that hangs out with a light grey / dark grey and then a light brown and dark brown so mine are all different and i don't have many of the same breed i like colors in my flock not all the same and mine do fine i don't really have bullies and i don't kill any of my birds

 

[CyndiChick]

The babies that we have are 5 black cochin, 5 blue cochin, and 2 gold laced cochin. The older hens are OEG and barnyard mixes. The approx. 5 month old is an EE (mostly white, with black markings) We've had black hens in there, and lighter colored ones, red ones, etc. with no problems. The two older ones have just decided they are queen of the coop and aren't going to share. And I have no problem getting rid of them (as in rehoming... I don't think I could kill those two since they were given to my kiddos LOL) but the OEG is our only reliable layer right now. Maybe once the twelve babies get started laying I won't have a problem getting them out of there. The OEG is pure mean. She really is. I don't mind seeing her go, once others are giving us eggs!

 

[farmer boy]

they prob wont be so mean once the new hens get in the coop since they have number and size since oegs are small not to big just little bantams and cochins will be a lot bigger so the oegs might calm down once the new ones get in the coop