Fluffy Butt Crew
In the Brooder
- Aug 16, 2023
- 9
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Hello everyone, I need some advice on integrating 2 flocks. A friend of mine tried integrating two flocks last year and it went terribly bad where over half of the new flock was killed by the older hens. I don’t want that to happen, so I’ve read everything I could and I’m STILL having a few growing pains. Here’s my situation (It’s a long story because I wanted to give all of the background up front).
I have two flocks/groups I want to integrate into the same coop. It gets pretty cold here and I don’t provide heat. I would like to have all of my hens in the same coop by winter. The older flock is 2 years old (5 hens - 3 Sapphire Olive Eggers and 2 Starlight Eggers). The younger ones will be 18 weeks old this week (3 hens/pullets – 2 Marans and 1 Splash Blue Egger). The main coop is capable of housing 15 mature hens. I added a small coop for the younger ones and it’s capable of housing 4 mature hens. The coops are connected to a 20x20 predator-proof run with numerous chicken-wire covered grazing boxes inside. Also, the run includes two sets of food/water setups along with about 7 different perching branches (each about 5 feet long). The coop/run sits inside a fenced wooded area that’s just under ¼ acre for foraging.
My older flock was purchased at the same time, and, for the most part, they all get along well. Occasionally, the two starlight eggers chase/jump on the back of one of the sapphire eggers (her name is Omelet). It appears to be harmless chasing that last maybe 5 seconds. If they jump on her back, that only lasts 1-3 seconds. There is never any feather pulling, blood, or wounds. Once the incidents are over, they go back to being a tightknit group. As a side note, Omelet (the one that is chased/jumped on) was the last in her group to start laying. She laid her first egg about 2 months after all of the others. Also, she chooses to sleep outside the coop (but inside the run) on one of the perching branches 1-3 nights a week. I thought she was being bullied inside the coop at night, so I installed a camara. I didn’t see any bullying. There is a little jockeying for position in the beginning, and then they settle down. When she sleeps in the coop, she is right in the middle of them and there is no fighting.
We installed a little coop next to the larger one when the younger ones were 6 weeks and moved them into the run. We also sectioned off a small section of the run so the older ones could get used to seeing the new ones. This worked well. At 8 weeks, we sectioned off a small foraging area and started to let the younger ones out to forage at the same time as the older ones. So far so good. Next, we let them forage together for a few weeks. There was minimal chasing. After a few weeks, the older ones ignored the younger ones. At 12 weeks, we removed the sectioning within the run. The older hens now had access to the smaller coop and vice versa. Up to this point, everything was going well. The older hens explored the small coop and make it a habit of going inside each day. The younger ones NEVER go inside the main coop to explore. I’ve tried to lure them inside with snacks but nothing. They get along well inside the run area and there is enough space/places for everyone to find their own perch.
At almost 18 weeks old, the younger ones still run every time one of the older hens walk anywhere near them. Even when there is no aggression. They stay in their little group. Only one of the older ones even attempts to chase them. Guess who the culprit is? Omelet!
Unfortunately, Omelet (the one who’s occasionally jumped on by the others) has named herself queen of keeping the younger ones in line. She constantly chases them around when they are not perched somewhere and when foraging. She runs them off from treats, etc. She never jumps on them or anything but it’s getting ridiculous at this point. Omelet seems to be the reason why I can’t get them from being scared of the older ones. The younger ones sometimes try to follow the older ones when foraging, but Omelet will see them and chase them off. I don’t want to separate Omelet because she’s the one the others jump on. Our leaves are already falling from the trees and it’ll be cold before you know it. I never intended for the little coop to be anything but a transition house, so it wasn’t built to withstand the winter. I need the younger ones in the main coop.
Yesterday, I unblocked the nesting boxes in the little coop because I don’t know when they will start laying. Today, ALL the older hens laid their eggs in the little coop’s nesting box! What the duce! LOL. Tonight, for the first time, the younger hens didn’t go inside their coop. Do you think it’s because all the older hens laid their eggs in there today? What else can I do to help this process along? How do I prevent the older hens from laying in the smaller coop? They have been laying in the main coop for 2 years. Do you recommend I just leave it alone? I really don’t want to spend any money to winterize the smaller coop.
Thanks in advance.
I have two flocks/groups I want to integrate into the same coop. It gets pretty cold here and I don’t provide heat. I would like to have all of my hens in the same coop by winter. The older flock is 2 years old (5 hens - 3 Sapphire Olive Eggers and 2 Starlight Eggers). The younger ones will be 18 weeks old this week (3 hens/pullets – 2 Marans and 1 Splash Blue Egger). The main coop is capable of housing 15 mature hens. I added a small coop for the younger ones and it’s capable of housing 4 mature hens. The coops are connected to a 20x20 predator-proof run with numerous chicken-wire covered grazing boxes inside. Also, the run includes two sets of food/water setups along with about 7 different perching branches (each about 5 feet long). The coop/run sits inside a fenced wooded area that’s just under ¼ acre for foraging.
My older flock was purchased at the same time, and, for the most part, they all get along well. Occasionally, the two starlight eggers chase/jump on the back of one of the sapphire eggers (her name is Omelet). It appears to be harmless chasing that last maybe 5 seconds. If they jump on her back, that only lasts 1-3 seconds. There is never any feather pulling, blood, or wounds. Once the incidents are over, they go back to being a tightknit group. As a side note, Omelet (the one that is chased/jumped on) was the last in her group to start laying. She laid her first egg about 2 months after all of the others. Also, she chooses to sleep outside the coop (but inside the run) on one of the perching branches 1-3 nights a week. I thought she was being bullied inside the coop at night, so I installed a camara. I didn’t see any bullying. There is a little jockeying for position in the beginning, and then they settle down. When she sleeps in the coop, she is right in the middle of them and there is no fighting.
We installed a little coop next to the larger one when the younger ones were 6 weeks and moved them into the run. We also sectioned off a small section of the run so the older ones could get used to seeing the new ones. This worked well. At 8 weeks, we sectioned off a small foraging area and started to let the younger ones out to forage at the same time as the older ones. So far so good. Next, we let them forage together for a few weeks. There was minimal chasing. After a few weeks, the older ones ignored the younger ones. At 12 weeks, we removed the sectioning within the run. The older hens now had access to the smaller coop and vice versa. Up to this point, everything was going well. The older hens explored the small coop and make it a habit of going inside each day. The younger ones NEVER go inside the main coop to explore. I’ve tried to lure them inside with snacks but nothing. They get along well inside the run area and there is enough space/places for everyone to find their own perch.
At almost 18 weeks old, the younger ones still run every time one of the older hens walk anywhere near them. Even when there is no aggression. They stay in their little group. Only one of the older ones even attempts to chase them. Guess who the culprit is? Omelet!
Unfortunately, Omelet (the one who’s occasionally jumped on by the others) has named herself queen of keeping the younger ones in line. She constantly chases them around when they are not perched somewhere and when foraging. She runs them off from treats, etc. She never jumps on them or anything but it’s getting ridiculous at this point. Omelet seems to be the reason why I can’t get them from being scared of the older ones. The younger ones sometimes try to follow the older ones when foraging, but Omelet will see them and chase them off. I don’t want to separate Omelet because she’s the one the others jump on. Our leaves are already falling from the trees and it’ll be cold before you know it. I never intended for the little coop to be anything but a transition house, so it wasn’t built to withstand the winter. I need the younger ones in the main coop.
Yesterday, I unblocked the nesting boxes in the little coop because I don’t know when they will start laying. Today, ALL the older hens laid their eggs in the little coop’s nesting box! What the duce! LOL. Tonight, for the first time, the younger hens didn’t go inside their coop. Do you think it’s because all the older hens laid their eggs in there today? What else can I do to help this process along? How do I prevent the older hens from laying in the smaller coop? They have been laying in the main coop for 2 years. Do you recommend I just leave it alone? I really don’t want to spend any money to winterize the smaller coop.
Thanks in advance.
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