Can I Combine my flocks now?

Sometimes integration goes so smooth you wonder what all the worry was about and sometimes chickens wind up dead. From what I can tell from your posts, yours is not going all that badly, even if it is not real smooth. I think you will wind up successful.

Some flocks have a chicken in it that will seek out and destroy other chickens, whether younger or a just-not-yet-integrated chickens. Usually this is a hen, but it can be a rooster. Most flocks don't have these, but they do exist in some flocks. Often a rooster makes integration go smoother because he keeps peace in his flock, but sometimes the rooster is the problem. Each chicken has its own personality and each flock has its own dynamics.

What you can expect is that the younger chickens will try to stay as far from the older chickens as they can. When they are out free ranging, they will not mix. It really helps to have different feeding and watering stations so they can stay apart. The older ones are higher in the pecking order and will enforce those pecking order rights if the young ones violate their personal space.

I find the roosts are the worst place for mine during integration. When they are in the coop together, don't be surprised to see the young ones go to roost very late. The older hens, and usually the older ones lower in the pecking order, can be especially vicious on the roosts, so the young ones try to avoid them. I've actually had young ones that were roosting on the roosts move to other places for roosting to get away from those vicious hens, including starting to sleep out of the coop. In the morning, the young ones will stay up on the roosts out of the way while the older ones are on the foor.

During the first week or so of them sleeping toigether, I make it a point to open the pop door as early in the day as I can to give them some separation.

I usually let them sleep in separate places the first week or so after they start free ranging together. Sounds like your tractor may suit those purposes. But eventuallly they are able to stay in the coop together without any getting hurt or seriously picked on.

I find that mine normally stay in separate flocks until well after the new ones start to lay. Eventually they do start to hang out with the older chickens, kind of making friends in the other flock, but this takes a long time. I raise them for meat as much as eggs, and I find this mixing occurs when I have messed up the pecking order in the established flock.

Don't expect yours to play nice together for a long time. It just does not work that way. But with the space I think you have, I think you have an excellent chance to get them to co-exist without hurting each other, which in my book is success.
 
my coop is divided with 5 nest on each side and the older ones refuse to go on the same side as the young ones.
 
i am also in the process of integrating little ones. i have one adult hen who is the big problem. we call her Large (and in charge). other than that everyone (year olds and 6/10/12 week olds) are getting along real well after 3 weeks of slow exposure to each other. i am giving it one more week, then it is the boot for Large.
 
I sort of mixed my flock last week. The RIR's are 11 weeks and have a separate coop from the 9 month olds. They could hear each other and partly see each other. I let them out to range together and only had a few quick pecks......there's enough room for the younger ones to move out of the way. They still go into their own coop at night though. Once I get rid of the 3 roos, I will be cooping them together (the ducks need all the space in their coop now) At first I had to "herd" them out and back in the coop, on day 3 they didn't it on their own. I also pull the feeders during the day, so they know they get to eat before they go to bed.
 
Quote:
Hi Sassy.....I have currently 11,12, and 13 week old babies out in their own coop and run. My son bought me 2 BO's and 2 Sicilian Buttercups for mothers day. I am new to the chicken life and have been getting as much info as I can from this site:) My first instinct was to build a mini coop for the newcomers and I read your comment above. Sounds like this is a safe option.
I am also going to fence their new coop in with portable dog kennel fencing so they can all see each other.....Did you do that or just put in an additional coop and let them all run together? My older flock are little snuggle bears and my other concern and my luck is they would all try and fit in the smaller coop....lol Your thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated:)
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom