Adding new chickens (pullets) to existing flock

[aart]

The coop already has 2 roosts the old girls occupy the top one and the lower one is empty.

Take the pullets out of the nests and put them on the roosts after dark....
....or....
block off the nests at dusk, then unblock them well after dark, this will force the pullets to go to the roost.
Either way might take a week or more of management until they all get settled into the new habits.

 

[spiritpup]

I am going through the same thing. I have 2 Barred Rocks, 1 Rhode Island Red & 1 Grey Silkie. I have 10 acres with a large chain link fence for the chickens and goats. The bigger hens have always ostracized the Silkie and I felt bad that she didn't have a buddy so I got a couple more small breed pullets. The others immediately went after them so I put the two newcomers in a small wire "chicken jail" inside the fence for a few days. Hopefully that will work!

 

[winthepin]

I had 3 blk. sexlinks and I just bought 3 gold sexlink pullets and I purchased a larger coop. I still have the sm. coop inside the run so today I opened it to see if the new ones will go into the old coop to roost. Since they are sleeping in the nesting boxes in the new coop its a mess cleaning them in the morning before the old ones lay. I am going to try and do what the other gentleman said and block off the nesting boxes so they can't sleep there and see if they will roost on their own, I think they will just sleep on the floor. They got along pretty well in the run just a little chasing, but they are still considerably smaller than the older girls.

 

[seniorcit]

Thanks to all for the suggestions. Have 1 Rhode Island Red & 2 Barred Rock. The existing RIR is furious because I got a new "red headed" girl & won't leave her alone. I will try the new girl in a separate smaller pen within the larger one.