Hi everyone,First off I'd like to thank everyone for this wonderful board.I've picked up alot of info in the last few months.Ok last winter my wife & I decided to get some chickens. So this spring I built a coop & we bought some birds locally.We got 15 RIR they are about 18 weeks old now.A week after getting the first batch I got 10 Americaunas,5 bar Rocks & five assorted bantams(the guy gave me the bantams for free) they would be about 16 weeks.They've been free ranging for about 3 months but lately they keep going to my neighbors yard( usually in the mornings & never in the evening).So we decided to keep them in the run & maybe leave them out in the evenings.They have been roosting together for months & there is the ocassional squirmish in the yard
(the two flocks stay seperate in the yard),but today is the first day in the run together all day & we are worried.They have one run out the back of the coop 24ftx30ft & one out the front 12ftx15ft.I've read some of the older posts & they say to just grin & bear it & let them establish a new pecking order.My first batch of RIR turned out to be 7 roosters. I butchered 4 yesterday & may do a few more Saturday depending on how they get along this week.I used my small knife to puncture the roof of the mouth to kill the birds & the traffic cones to hold the birds. I read about that process on here & it worked very well.
So any advice on mixing my flocks or should I just give them time to work it out on their own.It's not even been a day & we feel so bad for not letting them free range all day but have to try & keep the peace with the neighbor.
Sorry for being so long winded.& thanks again Mike
(the two flocks stay seperate in the yard),but today is the first day in the run together all day & we are worried.They have one run out the back of the coop 24ftx30ft & one out the front 12ftx15ft.I've read some of the older posts & they say to just grin & bear it & let them establish a new pecking order.My first batch of RIR turned out to be 7 roosters. I butchered 4 yesterday & may do a few more Saturday depending on how they get along this week.I used my small knife to puncture the roof of the mouth to kill the birds & the traffic cones to hold the birds. I read about that process on here & it worked very well.
So any advice on mixing my flocks or should I just give them time to work it out on their own.It's not even been a day & we feel so bad for not letting them free range all day but have to try & keep the peace with the neighbor.
Sorry for being so long winded.& thanks again Mike
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