Best way to add several girls at one time into big girls coop

[ging3rhoffman]

There are 13 hens and 1 Rooster that are 20 weeks old and i want to add my 6 hens that are 9 weeks old. Whats the safest and best way? The big hens do go over to see the little ones in their pen when they go out to free range each evening. Just dont want the new girls hurt.

 

[TexasVet]

Slip them onto the roost after it's good and dark and everyone's gone to sleep for the night. I always wear a headband flashlight that has a red light option. For some reason or other, it doesn't spook or wake up the chickens like regular light does.

If things go well, everyone will come out of the coop as one happy family in the morning.

Kathy, Bellville TX
www.CountryChickens.com

PS: I always but the new birds on the bottom rung of the roost, so they aren't seen as challenging the pecking order.

 

[osagebill88]

A healthy flock has a chain of command and the chickens will sort it out.... the newbies will find their place in the hierarchy. its impossible to avoid and something that is sometimes hard for us to accept. They will peck and fight it out a little.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Is it possible to put the little ones in a smaller pen inside of the big girls coop?

I raised all of mine in a 10x10 dog kennel that was split down the middle. They were able to see each other all the time. When the little ones got a bit bigger I opened up a small hole just big enough for them but not the big ones to get thru in case they needed to run away.

 

[glitch]

Quote:
Thx for that PS Kathy......that's interesting.
I like your site too.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Here is the BYC Learning Center link for integrating chickens to other chickens:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock