Help with integrating pullets into flock

[KBGB]

I’m in about the same situation because we can’t free range because of a colony of feral cats.

We ended up taking down the chicken wire we had used to separate them off inside the run which created a completely separate area and put up a long gate with the panic door. This way they were a little more open. They pretty much stayed in their "area" and the big girls stayed in theirs but they started getting more and more brave and venturing out. It had been that way for almost two weeks and then last week we took down the panic door but left the gate. So they still had a little separated off area but the big girls would come in sometimes . They are 10 weeks old now and day before yesterday we added a couple more roost bars in the run so they had places to escape and took down the gate and panic door. It is mostly going well except bed time which we are supervising because our big girls shove them all off the bar so once it is dark we help everyone get on the bar. We have two roost bars in the coop but no one wants the lower bar. sigh.
Good luck to you! Integration has been tough!

 

[Lor]

Good luck to you! Integration has been tough!

Glad to hear things are going better!
Yes, integration is tough. (on us).

 

[HNDYMN]

When one bird is picking on the others. Separate it out with a barrier like a piece of cardboard. So that it can hear but not see the other birds. Try it for a full day then return it to the flock. If the bad behavior does not become less. Do it again for two days. Usually this works. Good Luck