Combining chickens

[SarahAndChicken]

Im new to having chickens and i was wondering if anyone had so advice for a good age to introduce my chicken together i have 2 5 month olds and 5 6 week olds, ive read that i can put them together at around 6 weeks and other things say to wait until they are about the same size so the little ones can hold their ground. The only thing thats stopping me from putting them together now is that im wondering if my biggest ones are too young because all the people that put chicken together at 6 weeks their big birds were already laying:/ Thank you guys!!

 

[lizsmall99]

If I could give you any advice, it would be to be patient. Chickens are odd animals and some are more aggressive than others. My current coop has three hens in it and the barred rock (Bobbi) is the alpha. She was extremely aggressive toward our new 3 month old and we tried to introduce them first. Let's just say it didn't end well. Be patient and keep them in your backyard or other large, inclosed area under supervision. Be sure to stand in between them to make sure nothing bad happens. Once you feel secure with how they are interacting, put the babies in the coop at night and early in the morning check them again. If the big chickens are attacking the little ones, move them back. Be careful though, because you never know what could happen.


Good luck and keep me updated!

 

[SarahAndChicken]

Thank you!! i occasionally put the little ones by the coop to let the big ones see them and i can't tell if they are interested in the little birds or if they are just begging me to let them out

most of the time they have different outside times and the little ones always stay by me and the big girls do their thing so i figured id get them out at the same time, when i was going to put them back the ladies got intresteted in what the noice was and came over and raised their feathers luckily no one got hurt because i scared the big girls away but sometimes i wonder if i was to soon to but in and they were just curious and not looking to do damage but than again i would be more upset if a little one got hurt

 

[aart]

Split your coop with a temporary wire mesh wall, put a couple of openings at floor level that are big enough for littles and too small for bigger birds.

The littles can live on one side of coop but have access to older birds side, but older birds can't get to littles side of coop so littles have a refuge. By the time the littles are same size as olders, making escape doors irrelevant, they should be pretty much acclimated to one another.

 

[SarahAndChicken]

So i final decided to put all my chickens together!!! last night i put the little ones in the coop and watched a little bit and didnt like how to ladys reacted to the little ones so i but the big ones in a cage and let them out first thing in the morning to wander the yard. so today when i let them all out in the yard i made it a point for them to interact (usually they hang out in different areas so they dont really cross paths) first i only introduced one to them (the nicer of the 2) i had them all eat out of my hand together there was only 1 or 2 pecks and everything was fine. she wasnt so interested and i think that had to do with the fact that she wanted to find her other half. later in the day i put everybody together and there were a few more pecks and i intervened a few times

they then parted their ways. even later today almost moments before i started writing this they interacted again, the ladies followed me when i walked over to the little girls and there was a few more pecks a few that got me scared but still not to bad. the ladies then went into the coop, a few minutes later the girls went in there not knowing that the ladies were already in there and they were pecking and it really didnt settle down do i kind of shu-ed the ladies out of the coop to keep a little peace. tonight i was thinking of letting everyone roam and sleep togther but after not so good meetings i was thinking of seperating them again any thoughts????