Hi y'all - New Chicken Lover in Charleston

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tbuford

tbuford

Hatching
7 Years
Apr 12, 2012
8
1
9
We're new to raising chickens (less than one year) in the back yard. We've read alot and continue to learn every day. I've found I'm totally in love with my girls. The sight of a hawk sends terror into my heart. It's great to find such a diverse volume of advice. We are currently challenged with the introduction of new, younger birds to our flock. We've sectioned the coop and have separate feeders/waterers which has worked very well. But now our older girls are really indignant and have started refusing to lay in the chicken house (they roam the yard most days). They've started laying in the yard. So we confined everyone to the coop but now one of my girls hasn't laid. I'm worried that she will become ill from the stress. Any advice to help us figure this one out would be appreciated - nothing in the our books about this one..
 
Hi && Welcome!
wee.gif
 
Hello and :welcome
I'm sorry you're having problems with the flock integration... Perhaps you could try letting all the chickens spend some time together? Maybe now they're used to each other they just need a chance to sort out the new pecking order and everyone will be more comfortable. I really have no clue, I'm sorry! But I hope you do find a solution soon.
See you round. :frow
 
Hi and :welcome from Ohio. So glad you joined. What is the age difference and how long been separated? Maybe remove the divider but not the food and water just yet and see how they get along. :thumbsup
 
Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan
frow.gif


Best to wait until your chicks are close to laying before mixing them, unless you are feeding an all-flock ration, as layer feed has too much calcium for young birds. Your hens will get over it after a few days.
 
The older hens are around 10 months and the new ones are a little over 2 months. They have been staying in the chicken house together during the night but segregated during the day if we aren't home - hawks. If we're home we've been letting all the girls out together and they get along fairly well. The chicks have learned to hall buggy if the older girls approach. Puzzle is that the older girls have always laid in the house but suddenly have refused to lay there. We kept them all in the coop for 2 days and most laid (late in the day but they laid) - but one of my RIR's - I relented and let her out today and she ran to a corner of the yard and laid immediately. We've expanded the house today thinking maybe the chicks were getting in the nesting area - so we'll see if that helps.
 

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