Combining 12 week olds with 2 year olds questions

[yesfantina]

The seven 12 week old pullets are in the new bigger better coop. So the five 2 year olds will be moving out of their much-too small coop/run and joining them. I heard that I should wait til the babies stop making baby sounds, and they are pretty much there.

We have had them all out in the yard free ranging together for a couple hours almost daily for the last couple weeks. They don't exactly get along swimingly, but there's been no bloodshed. They kind of stay together in their separate cliches and go to their own coop at night.

I am thinking the best way to do this is to move the older girls into the new coop during the night -- just put them on roosts where they will wake up the next day. And then stay outside most of the next day watching them in their run to make sure everything is ok. And putting cardboard around their old coop to make it look not-like-home for awhile once we let them out into the yard. Does this sound like the right way to do this? Does anyone have any advice on how else I can make this easier for everyone?

Also, I guess what I'm waiting for now is the foods to run low. The babies are on (medicated) Blue Seal chick starter, and the big girls are on egg maker crumbles. There's still probably 10 lbs of each left, and then I expect I'll buy some Grow and Show to feed them all until the babies start laying (and i'll have oystershells/eggshells freechoice in the run for the big girls).

My question about food -- is do I Have to wait? Can I mix what's left of the eggmaker and the baby food and feed them all that? I'm anxious to move the big girls into their new coop, but I don't want to hurt either. Will a couple weeks of the extra calcium hurt the babies? Will the medicated feed hurt the big girls?

Thanks

-tina

 

[4 the Birds]

I think they will be fine all together. The 12 week olds are old enough to take care of themselves and find their place in the pecking order. We have always gone to standard layer feed when pullets join the flock with no problems. I like to feed pellets instead of crumbles since less feed turns to dust and is wasted. Our 6 week olds go from the brooder to a segregated coop area for a few weeks. I then open things up and they join the flock.

 

[yesfantina]

Well, we moved the big girls into the little girl's coop last night. They were confused when I openned the pop door this morning and 3 of the 2 year olds wouldn't leave the roost they were on until I helped them.

However NOW, the big girls have chased all 7 13-week olds back into the coop and on their roosts for the night. (it is NOON!) Should I do something? The little ones are usually in their run all day, not hiding in the coop. :-(