Blending the two flicks to one

[Ccrielly]

At what age can I have my new girls join my older girls? They all free range together but still sleep in separate coops.

 

[aart]

How old are all these birds....and how many of each?
How long have they been ranging together?
Is your main coop big enough for them all?
Dimensions and pics always are always helpful.
Ranging together is different than being in an enclosed space together.

 

[Mrs. K]

Give it a try, wait till they have all gone to bed, and move them over to the coop you want. Next day either, lock up the coop you no longer want them in, and check on them shortly after dark, again putting them on the roost, if needed. By the third day they should have it figured out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think there are a lot more important things than age. I've had broody hens wean their chicks at three weeks, leaving them to make their way with the flock on their own. They did. They were raised with the flock from hatch, I have a lot of room inside and out, and my flock is pretty mellow. I'm kind of laid back too, leaving a lot of stuff up to them instead of trying to micromanage everything. I do not do my brooder-raised chicks at three weeks, I wait until five weeks, but my brooder is in the coop so they are raised with the flock too.

Yours are free ranging together. That is great, you are ahead of the game. Since they free range you obviously have a lot of room outside. How much room do you have inside, especially roost space? If you are locking them up together they need some room, enough that the young can avoid the older ones. Places to hide under or behind can help. In the morning my young ones are often on the roosts while the older ones are on the coop floor. It's an easy way for them to avoid.

As long as my chicks are not sleeping in the nests and are in a predator-safe area I don't care where they sleep. My brooder-raised chicks almost never sleep on the main roosts with the adults until they reach a certain level of maturity. With pullets that's usually about the time they start to lay. With cockerels it varies a lot. Some people seem to really worry about where they sleep, thinking they need to roost. Within my limits I don't worry about that, they will work it out.

I often move chicks from my grow-out coop to the main coop. After they have ranged together about a month during the day, I move them into the main coop at night, locking them in there. I lock their old coop so they cannot go back in there. Often I only have to lock them in there once and they then start putting themselves to bed on their own. Sometimes I have to move them in at night a few times before they catch on. I'm down there in the morning at daybreak when they first wake up to open the pop door and let them out until I see that there are no worries. Usually that's the first morning only.

 

[aart]

In the morning my young ones are often on the roosts while the older ones are on the coop floor. It's an easy way for them to avoid.

This is true....tho with the broody and chicks I have now, it's the opposite.
That broody is fierce! Cracks me up....but it's also kind of disruptive too.

 

[Ridgerunner]

This is true....tho with the broody and chicks I have now, it's the opposite.
That broody is fierce! Cracks me up....but it's also kind of disruptive too.

Broodies are fun, really interesting dynamics. Just another aspect of chicken TV being better than anything on cable or antenna.

And an example of differences in our flocks. A broody with chicks is different dynamics of the chicks after the broody has weaned them. And flock dynamics change as the chicks mature. It's never boring if you pay attention.

 

[Mrs. K]

If you put a board about the level of your roosts, AArt, at 3-4 weeks, she will get them up there right next to the flock. They can still tuck under her, and she will feel safer off the floor. I use a 10-12 in wide plank.

I am wishing for a broody hen now... one that went last year, just has not yet got the urge. I think it is so cool here, this summer. She went in July last year, I have eggs on the counter, just waiting, swapping them out each day.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

If you put a board about the level of your roosts, AArt, at 3-4 weeks, she will get them up there right next to the flock. They can still tuck under her, and she will feel safer off the floor. I use a 10-12 in wide plank.

They stayed on a lower poop board, a couple chicks would use the roost itself...
... until last night at 6wo they were all on the main roost, which is a 2x4 wide side up, only one chick was under her the rest were strung out next to her.