Combining flocks

[LL Farms]

Hi! My question is.....I have two roosters that I have had for about 1 1/2yrs., they are brothers and I got them at the same time. I have ten hens. Four I have had about a year and the other six I got in July. I have one of the roosters with the six new hens I got in July and the other has the four that I have got a year ago. I have two separate coops but the only thing that separates them is chicken fence so they see each other every day. I would like to remove the fence separating them and have them all in one coop. Sometime they even stick their beaks through the fence and eat out of the others feeders. So I would think they are very comfortable with each other. Is this doable? Thanks! Hope

 

[DobieLover]

Hi! My question is.....I have two roosters that I have had for about 1 1/2yrs., they are brothers and I got them at the same time. I have ten hens. Four I have had about a year and the other six I got in July. I have one of the roosters with the six new hens I got in July and the other has the four that I have got a year ago. I have two separate coops but the only thing that separates them is chicken fence so they see each other every day. I would like to remove the fence separating them and have them all in one coop. Sometime they even stick their beaks through the fence and eat out of the others feeders. So I would think they are very comfortable with each other. Is this doable? Thanks! Hope

It will depend on the size and layout of the one coop and the temperament of the birds. You will have to "home" the flock you want to move to the "new" coop.
You should start by just removing the dividing fence about 1 hour before roosting time and observe behaviors when they intermingle.

 

[LL Farms]

It will depend on the size and layout of the one coop and the temperament of the birds. You will have to "home" the flock you want to move to the "new" coop.
You should start by just removing the dividing fence about 1 hour before roosting time and observe behaviors when they intermingle.

Thanks for replying so quickly. The coops are the exact same size, honestly I don't even know if they would notice the fence is gone. But once the fence comes down I can't put it back, it's big. I could cut a small opening and see how it goes. Not sure what you mean by "home" the flock I want to move. Technically they would be in the same area, just bigger.

 

[DobieLover]

Cut several openings that could later be blocked off if things don't work out.
How big are these coops? How big is their run? Can they get into the run at will?
To home a flock to a coop basically means you lock them in it for several days until they realize it is now home and will reliably return to it to roost every night.

 

[LL Farms]

Oh gotcha. I think I will cut an opening and see how it goes. Thanks again for your help.

 

[Cragg Klefor]

Good luck! Will be interested to hear how it goes!

 

[aart]

Good luck! Will be interested to hear how it goes!

Me too.....and pics of cop and divider wire.