Combining flocks

MDeezy79

In the Brooder
Aug 1, 2017
15
2
27
Ive got 2 hens with 11 poults. Poults are about 2 mo. old now. I currently have had them separated in their own pen for sitting on the eggs and hatching and what not. Now I have been starting to let them outside to forage and explore pretty often.
I also have a pen with 15- 5 mo. old poults I got this spring by mail, that are about 50% of their adult size. I can easily identify which ones are toms and hens at this point.
And I have the 2 adult toms in a separate pen.

I can let either pen outside by themselves to mill around just fine, but if I add in another group, all hell breaks loose. The hens will stand having the 2 toms around the babies now just fine, but they wouldn't when they were smaller... so no problems there.
If I let out the "teenagers" with the hens and babies, the 2 adult hens go ballistic and beat the crap out of them.
If I let out the "teenagers" with the 2 adult toms.. The 2 adult Toms go ballistic and beat the crap out of all of the young toms in the teenager group..
If the "teenagers" get a chance they will latch on to a baby by the neck and shake it around pretty viciously.

How do I mix them with out them killing each other? It is annoying having to let each group out for periods of the day and herd them back in for the next group.
 
Ive got 2 hens with 11 poults. Poults are about 2 mo. old now. I currently have had them separated in their own pen for sitting on the eggs and hatching and what not. Now I have been starting to let them outside to forage and explore pretty often.
I also have a pen with 15- 5 mo. old poults I got this spring by mail, that are about 50% of their adult size. I can easily identify which ones are toms and hens at this point.
And I have the 2 adult toms in a separate pen.

I can let either pen outside by themselves to mill around just fine, but if I add in another group, all hell breaks loose. The hens will stand having the 2 toms around the babies now just fine, but they wouldn't when they were smaller... so no problems there.
If I let out the "teenagers" with the hens and babies, the 2 adult hens go ballistic and beat the crap out of them.
If I let out the "teenagers" with the 2 adult toms.. The 2 adult Toms go ballistic and beat the crap out of all of the young toms in the teenager group..
If the "teenagers" get a chance they will latch on to a baby by the neck and shake it around pretty viciously.

How do I mix them with out them killing each other? It is annoying having to let each group out for periods of the day and herd them back in for the next group.
I am about to not help you at all, but just for Info---I do Not mix. I have some when they all are adult size---but very little. If you can put them in pens where they can see each other all day---they might calm down some??
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom