How do I combine flocks

[shawnm2639]

I have 5 new "game" hens and the "old" flock is 3 Delawares, 4 Bar Rocks and a Bar Rock Rooster. They all free range together and eat scratch I throw out all together and the game hens are going into the open coop and laying eggs in the nest boxes. What would happen if I shut them all up at night together? Right now the new girls are roosting in the trees but I live in the wild woods and am afraid they wont last.

 

[Dar]

thye should be fone if you can get them all to go into the same coop... they socialize together as it is.. make sure you have enough roost space

 

[angidee]

If they are already ranging together and there are no issues, you ought to be OK. Ever book I have ever read has suggested first introducing at night when they go to roost because they are more accepting of newcomers if they wake up with them. You've already got the daytime thing working smoothly, so the night time thing ought to be even easier!!!

 

[Tala]

What I do is free range them together for a while, and then one day move them into the coop at night. Sounds like you are ready to move them inside! You may have to move them several times, or lock them inside, if they are currently roosting in trees it may take some time for them to accept their new "bed"

I don't like introducing them in the coop first because if one is being picked on there's not very much room for her to get away from the attacker.

 

[Dar]

Quote:
wow sorry for the spelling... how can you tell I have been fighting migraines for a week?

did you lock them up together last night?

 

[shawnm2639]

Thanks for the hints but since I wrote this 3 of the girls have moved their selves into to coop and are broody in the nesting boxes

...lol See I worried about nothing. But that is me always a worry wort. Leave it to the chickens to solve the problem.

Now I have to worry about the egg hatching. One of them has 16 eggs under her. I am pretty sure there is a mixture of all the hens eggs because these were boxes that were being "shared" for laying.