Adding older birds to a flock

[cheeperchick]

Hi! I was wondering if it would be too stressful on my 2 month old flock if I add 2 ameracaunas (1 pullet, 1 roo) that are about 3 months older & significantly larger than everyone else. The Ameracaunas are currently in a small chicken tractor inside the larger coop so that everyone sees everybody, they've been in there for about 3 wks already. Would it be better to just let those 2 free range?

Older birds:

Younger Flock right now-9 birds:

 

[gryeyes]

Sounds as if you've already solved the "stranger" issue by letting them get to see Them and interact with them through the tractor wire. There are more juveniles than the 2 older birds, so I bet the pecking order kerfluffle will NOT be much more than normal chasing, squawking, a bit of feather pulling or a peck or two (per bird - LOL). I doubt there would be any serious injury to any of the birds.

Just my opinion, but I think your flock is ready to be consolidated. Integration should be successful at this point.

Oh - don't interfere unless there is blood shed! Feathers flying, chasing, squawking, all that is normal in the Chicken World, no matter how distressed WE get about it.

 

[cheeperchick]

I think ur right gryeyes...another concern I have is that the production red on the last pic could be a roo (look@the comb & waddles) could they live together in the same coop add long as they grow up together?

 

[gryeyes]

I tend to think people who swear you cannot have two Roos in a flock "because one will kill the other" must have originally heard that from GAME chicken breeders, and it's just been erroneously attributed to all chickens in general and then perpetuated.

I have kept a flock with multiple cockerels and roosters (the numbers have varied over the past four years) and only had ONE rooster that tried to kill a smaller one. He was mean to hens and pullets, too, so he was permanently culled. There are ALWAYS at least two mature roosters in my flock; the dominant and his subordinate. Cockerels growing up within this flock have integrated just fine; the senior Roos let 'em know they are subordinate to them and the kids respect it.

In your flock, your roosters will probably settle into #1 and #2 positions, but your hens might be over-mated and suffer feather loss on their heads and backs. Less than five hens "apiece" ( it doesn't really work that way, evenly, but you know what I mean) means all the girls will get a lot of rooster attention.

Hen "aprons" or "saddles" may be necessary if that happens.

The two rooster dynamic is usually a good one, though, for most flocks.