PoppyPansy
Hatching
- Apr 6, 2016
- 5
- 0
- 7
Hi!
We have three 13 week old pullets that we hatched earlier in the year, and three 1yr old hybrids that we have had since they were little. Ultimately, we want the six of them to live together in our Eglu Cube set up. Despite our best efforts we are struggling to integrate the two flocks, so I'm after some advice.
We have taken things very slowly, and I'm beginning to wonder if they will ever settle down together!
From the age of 4 weeks the chicks spent daytimes in their own run/coop set up (they have an Eglu Go), with the original hens free ranging around them. When they were 7 weeks old they would take turns- the chicks would free range while the hens were secured in their Eglu Cube, and vice versa. Once they reached 8 weeks old we allowed them all to free range together, with both runs closed and plenty of different food/water containers out in the garden.
So, they have been free ranging together daily for 5 weeks... but we don't seem any further forward!
The pullets keep themselves to themselves in the garden, and because there is plenty of room and plenty of hiding places there have been no real fights or issues generally... just a lot of chasing (unless I forget to close the smaller Eglu run where the dominant hen can corner and attack the pullets). No blood or anything awful to date, but even just yesterday this hen had a good go and took a few feathers- she is one mean chicken!
I'm feeling dismayed that after 5 weeks out together there is no real improvement! I naively thought that after this amount of time they would have at least integrated a little bit- nope! Their behaviour is identical to when we first let them roam together.
Lots of people say you should wait until pullets are the same size as the hens before fully mixing them (the pullets aren't far off the size of the hens), so perhaps I am just being impatient, but I'm also wondering if there is anything else I could be doing to help??
On the one hand there is no rush really, but on the other life would be much simpler if I could get them all in the same coop together, and get rid of the smaller Eglu filling up the garden.
Feels like perhaps until I put them all in the same run together they aren't going to sort things out? But I'm not brave enough to put them in together to see what happens? Considered doing the 'night thing' and put them all in together once it's dark, but sunrise here is about 4:45am at the moment so it would mean a very early alarm call to dash down and open the coop in case the hens don't just accept the new additions...
Do I need to man up and get them mixing in the coop/run to sort out the pecking order once and for all, or do I need to stop being so impatient and just give them lots more time?
Any thoughts welcome!
We have three 13 week old pullets that we hatched earlier in the year, and three 1yr old hybrids that we have had since they were little. Ultimately, we want the six of them to live together in our Eglu Cube set up. Despite our best efforts we are struggling to integrate the two flocks, so I'm after some advice.
We have taken things very slowly, and I'm beginning to wonder if they will ever settle down together!
From the age of 4 weeks the chicks spent daytimes in their own run/coop set up (they have an Eglu Go), with the original hens free ranging around them. When they were 7 weeks old they would take turns- the chicks would free range while the hens were secured in their Eglu Cube, and vice versa. Once they reached 8 weeks old we allowed them all to free range together, with both runs closed and plenty of different food/water containers out in the garden.
So, they have been free ranging together daily for 5 weeks... but we don't seem any further forward!
The pullets keep themselves to themselves in the garden, and because there is plenty of room and plenty of hiding places there have been no real fights or issues generally... just a lot of chasing (unless I forget to close the smaller Eglu run where the dominant hen can corner and attack the pullets). No blood or anything awful to date, but even just yesterday this hen had a good go and took a few feathers- she is one mean chicken!
I'm feeling dismayed that after 5 weeks out together there is no real improvement! I naively thought that after this amount of time they would have at least integrated a little bit- nope! Their behaviour is identical to when we first let them roam together.
Lots of people say you should wait until pullets are the same size as the hens before fully mixing them (the pullets aren't far off the size of the hens), so perhaps I am just being impatient, but I'm also wondering if there is anything else I could be doing to help??
On the one hand there is no rush really, but on the other life would be much simpler if I could get them all in the same coop together, and get rid of the smaller Eglu filling up the garden.
Feels like perhaps until I put them all in the same run together they aren't going to sort things out? But I'm not brave enough to put them in together to see what happens? Considered doing the 'night thing' and put them all in together once it's dark, but sunrise here is about 4:45am at the moment so it would mean a very early alarm call to dash down and open the coop in case the hens don't just accept the new additions...
Do I need to man up and get them mixing in the coop/run to sort out the pecking order once and for all, or do I need to stop being so impatient and just give them lots more time?
Any thoughts welcome!
