Advice needed on integration plan options

[ScottyGill]

Putting them in the coop @ night is what I do...

May I ask a question, at night my three chicks argue like nobody's business about who gets to roost with who in their brooder box. Is putting them in the big coop after my other chicks go to roost going to be so overwhelming for them they will Ben quiet or will they kick up a storm, like my first Ones did? Do the older ones just ignore it?

 

[Ribh]

May I ask a question, at night my three chicks argue like nobody's business about who gets to roost with who in their brooder box. Is putting them in the big coop after my other chicks go to roost going to be so overwhelming for them they will Ben quiet or will they kick up a storm, like my first Ones did? Do the older ones just ignore it?

Do it when it is fully dark after they have already settled to roost & use as little light as possible so as not to disturb them too much. Just pop them on a roost & without light no~one will fuss. There may be some squabbling in the morning but probably not too much.

 

[ScottyGill]

Do it when it is fully dark after they have already settled to roost & use as little light as possible so as not to disturb them too much. Just pop them on a roost & without light no~one will fuss. There may be some squabbling in the morning but probably not too much.

Thanks for your help

 

[NHMountainMan]

Do it when it is fully dark after they have already settled to roost & use as little light as possible so as not to disturb them too much. Just pop them on a roost & without light no~one will fuss. There may be some squabbling in the morning but probably not too much.

This is what I tried 2 nights ago. I used only a red light on my headlamp and moved the 5 young 12 week old pullets into the coop with the 3 23 week olds. I placed them on a different roosting bar about 3 feet from the nearest older pullet. Not a single noise made by the older girls. It wasn't until the morning that they attacked the smallest of the younger ones.

I need to get this resolved soon. We had our first below freezing night a few nights ago. We've got a few warm days in the forecast but real cold weather is just around the corner.

 

[Ribh]

This is what I tried 2 nights ago. I used only a red light on my headlamp and moved the 5 young 12 week old pullets into the coop with the 3 23 week olds. I placed them on a different roosting bar about 3 feet from the nearest older pullet. Not a single noise made by the older girls. It wasn't until the morning that they attacked the smallest of the younger ones.

I need to get this resolved soon. We had our first below freezing night a few nights ago. We've got a few warm days in the forecast but real cold weather is just around the corner.

Moving new birds in always upsets the pecking order. You need to allow time for this to settle. The pecking doesn't usually last too long but keeping newer younger birds away from food & water stations may & will need to be supervised. I find once everyone is laying things usually settle down quickly.

 

[NHMountainMan]

Moving new birds in always upsets the pecking order. You need to allow time for this to settle. The pecking doesn't usually last too long but keeping newer younger birds away from food & water stations may & will need to be supervised. I find once everyone is laying things usually settle down quickly.

Unfortunately the young pullets are only 11 weeks old - so they won't be laying before winter arrives (and maybe not until spring).
I think I'll see how joint ranging goes. If not, I may process the older birds.
If I give them a few weeks of joint ranging, then remove the grow out coop - might they follow the older birds into the big coop or am I going to need to put in in the big coop over night?

 

[NHMountainMan]

Developed a new plan. I put a 200x200 electric net inside the acre that I had previously better off. The older pullets own the outer ring. The young pullets have the inner ring. Letting them range alongside one another for a few days, then I'll remove the inner ring. We have a week of warm weather forecast, so hopeful we'll be able to integrate in a week or so, before the next frost hits.

 

[slordaz]

hopefully all goes well with the integrations, the ones here in quarantine are getting antsy to join the flock running around
, quarantine ends a week from today and they get their last worm treatment on Monday so gotta get their part of the coop ready with a buggered up shoulder, least it's just clean out the eggs and old straw as hens decided to use that part of the coop for laying instead of their boxes lol, they do strange things when they know your not up to par lol

 

[aart]

Developed a new plan. I put a 200x200 electric net inside the acre that I had previously better off. The older pullets own the outer ring. The young pullets have the inner ring. Letting them range alongside one another for a few days, then I'll remove the inner ring. We have a week of warm weather forecast, so hopeful we'll be able to integrate in a week or so, before the next frost hits.

Most poultry netting is not meant to hold chickens in, but keep predators out.
How big are the holes in the netting?

 

[ScottyGill]

We used small wire netting and It’s been perfect