Expert Advice Requested - Combining Flocks

[johnhallford]

My coop has three separate spaces for three flocks. The runs are next to one another with only chicken wire separating the flocks. Each sub-coop has its own nesting boxes, runs, roosting space, food/water, etc.

Pen #1 - 12 hens and 2 roosters all raised together from hatchlings. They are rather skittish, and the alpha rooster has attacked me twice.

Pen #2 - 5 hens and 1 rooster. These birds are a year older than Pen #1. These older birds can be cranky and a bit unfriendly toward the other birds.

Pen #3 - 9 hens and 2 roosters all raised together. These are the youngest and just started laying a few weeks ago. They are substantially more docile, and most allow mt to handle them. Very nice girls and boys in this group.

I'd like to combine the flocks into one. Doing so would be easy, as I only need to open a door between the pens like adjoining rooms in a hotel. I want to reduce the rooster number to two and will likely get rid of the ones in Pens 1 and 2 and keep the friendlier ones from Pen 3.

Any advice on what I should expect and/or how best to integrate the three flocks? Thank you for any info you provide regarding the matter. I am new in the chicken world, am still learning, and am trying to avoid any major mistakes along the way.

 

[Debbie292d]

How old are the ones in Pen 1?

Pen 2 and 3 sound like they would be similarly aged/sized? If so, those should blend together well, but you're going to have roosters challenging each other most likely. I'd definitely keep an eye on it for any bullying between the hens too.

 

[johnhallford]

How old are the ones in Pen 1?

Pen 2 and 3 sound like they would be similarly aged/sized? If so, those should blend together well, but you're going to have roosters challenging each other most likely. I'd definitely keep an eye on it for any bullying between the hens too.

Pen 1 are several months older than Pen 3. Pen 2 are the oldest. Physical layout of the coop spaces puts Pen 2 in the middle, so they have exposure to both of the other two flocks.

 

[johnhallford]

Pen 1 are several months older than Pen 3. Pen 2 are the oldest. Physical layout of the coop spaces puts Pen 2 in the middle, so they have exposure to both of the other two flocks.

So, from 1 to 3, ages are:
Pen 1 - the middle children.
Pen 2 - the older siblings.
Pen 3 - the youngest.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How old, in months, are the youngest? Are they laying?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How old, in months, are the youngest? Are they laying?

Oops, sorry, I see they are laying.

 

[DobieLover]

Rehome the roosters from Pen 1 & 2 before doing anything else.
How much space do you have total after combining the three pens? Please post pictures.
As long as you have at least 12-15 sq ft per bird after the pens are combined into one, you are off to a good start. Leave all current feeders/waterers in place for the integration. Add extra places to perch, things to hide behind and nice dry organic substrate to scratch around in.
Then I would just remove the boundaries between the pens and let them co-mingle as they've already had time to acclimate to the other's existence near them.
Stay and just monitor for the first hour or two to make sure no one is getting relentlessly chased or pinned down and that everyone has plenty of room to get away from the others.

 

[johnhallford]

How old, in months, are the youngest? Are they laying?

I'm not sure of their age. I bought the house and moved in mid-August, and the chickens were conveyed with the house. They were not laying at that time but started a couple of weeks later, so around September 1.