How long to acclimate b4 integrating

[huntersmoon]

Hi,

I have 4 chickens (including rooster) in my main coop and am adding three to it. They've been in my mobile coop. One used to be in with the main and two are new. I have read to acclimate them during the day by keeping them near each other and so I've put these three into the run of the main. The coop is 12×12 with four sides hardware cloth and shade cloth on rollers as we are in a hot climate, and so they can see each other easily.

How many days do I need to do this before I sneak the three new ones in in the evening?

Thanks
Shannon

 

[Mrs. K]

How old are the new ones? How are they acting?

If you think things are going well, and if you have been putting the new ones in the coop during the day, just let the olds ones come into the coop just before sundown. See how it goes... get out there early the next morning to make sure.

If they have not been squabbling out free ranging, and they have seen them in the main set up, I would expect your are good to go. However, they are animals, and sometimes have not read the plan!

Mrs K

 

[huntersmoon]

They are approximately the same age and size - all adults, some a year or so older than the others. Today is just the first day, and at dusk I let the new ones from the run walk into the coop so I didn't have to try to chase them under the tree in the run. The other chickens were a bit curious but none ran over to attack. They haven't been out free ranging though, since I have a fox that has picked off four of them before I sequestered them into the coop and run. Thanks for the advice and so I guess I'll do it for a couple of days and then leave them in overnight.