Combining flocks

[MamaSaylor]

I have RIR that we got in march? and we added 6 more sex links in April. Our youngsters are outgrowing their broader pen so we put them in a makeshift pen next to the coop during the day.

What is the best way to add them to the coop?! We put one in the run and one of my RIR kept trying to peck her :/

 

[stevodod]

I have RIR that we got in march? and we added 6 more sex links in April. Our youngsters are outgrowing their broader pen so we put them in a makeshift pen next to the coop during the day.

What is the best way to add them to the coop?! We put one in the run and one of my RIR kept trying to peck her

They will have an adjustment time and the RIR's tend to be bossy. I've heard to put them all in the roost together at night, and they wake up and just kinda wonder what happened. Lots of ways to intro chickens, check other posts. Mostly make sure they are the same size.

 

[Den in Penn]

Best way is to finish out their growing up time in a pen next to or within the coop so the older chickens get to know them. If you free range at 10 to 12 weeks you can let them free range together. By the time they are nearly the same size they can be put in the same coop. Or you can put them in the coop at night and hopefully they will accept the new comers. Either way there will be a settling of the pecking order, which can look nasty to us humans. I only intervene when there is blood spilled. And if you have more then one to integrate put them in all at the same time, Gives the older ones more then one target to worry over, so one can't be as easily bullied.