How to integrate 2 flocks in a new coop?

[arubio92]

Hi all, I will be getting 3 new chickens on friday and other 3 on monday. Couldn't arrange to get them at the same time, they are from different farms. Some are 16 week old and others 10 weeks old. Should I separate them or can I put all of them in the coop and run?

Thanks

 

[DobieLover]

Hi all, I will be getting 3 new chickens on friday and other 3 on monday. Couldn't arrange to get them at the same time, they are from different farms. Some are 16 week old and others 10 weeks old. Should I separate them or can I put all of them in the coop and run?

Thanks

Do you currently have any chickens?
Ideally you would quarantine them for 30 days to make sure neither group is carrying any illness. After the quarantine period, you would keep them in adjacent pens with a fence separating them so they can see each other but not touch each other for about a week to acclimate to one another. Then you would remove the barrier between them and have lots of structure in their run for them to occupy themselves with vs. chasing/pecking each other.

 

[arubio92]

Do you currently have any chickens?
Ideally you would quarantine them for 30 days to make sure neither group is carrying any illness. After the quarantine period, you would keep them in adjacent pens with a fence separating them so they can see each other but not touch each other for about a week to acclimate to one another. Then you would remove the barrier between them and have lots of structure in their run for them to occupy themselves with vs. chasing/pecking each other.

I don't have any chickens currently

 

[Mrs. K]

Whenever a newbie says I am getting 6 chickens...I start to worry that they have boughten a pre fab coop that says it can hold 6 chickens?

Send us a picture of the coop. If it is a pre fab - even though the box says it will hold 6 adult chickens - it really won't, without a lot of fighting. If you have a pre fab only take one group of chickens.

Mrs K

 

[arubio92]

Whenever a newbie says I am getting 6 chickens...I start to worry that they have boughten a pre fab coop that says it can hold 6 chickens?

Send us a picture of the coop. If it is a pre fab - even though the box says it will hold 6 adult chickens - it really won't, without a lot of fighting. If you have a pre fab only take one group of chickens.

Mrs K

Not a prefab kit, the built of the run was in progress in this picture. Don't have a recent one on the phone yet. Coop is 4 x 4 plus 3 nesting boxes. 2 roosts on both sides and 2 extra roost in the back

 

[DobieLover]

View attachment 3581690
Not a prefab kit, the built of the run was in progress in this picture. Don't have a recent one on the phone yet. Coop is 4 x 4 plus 3 nesting boxes. 2 roosts on both sides and 2 extra roost in the back

You need A LOT more ventilation in that coop and without a predator proof run attached, you will be very tight with 6 chickens in it.
Will your run have a solid roof on it? If not, where will they go when you have deep snow on the ground?

 

[Mrs. K]

4x4 is good for 4 chickens. Only get one group. Next year, you can add two if you lose one. It is better to have chickens from multiple years.

 

[Mrs. K]

Actually I think the ventilation is under that high side of the roof.

 

[arubio92]

You need A LOT more ventilation in that coop and without a predator proof run attached, you will be very tight with 6 chickens in it.
Will your run have a solid roof on it? If not, where will they go when you have deep snow on the ground?

Yes, solid roof on the run, 8 x 8 all covered with HW cloth for predators. Also will build a chicken tractor 8 x 8 as well so they have more room when I'm home. I work from home so mostly all the time they will have access to both runs. If I need to go out, which is usually only for a couple hours, they will stay in the covered run with the solid roof. Winter time I might cover the chicken tractor with clear poly plastic so they can still roam around, also will shovel if required, I shovel the yard for my dog so will most likely shovel the chickens area.

Actually I think the ventilation is under that high side of the roof.

Yes, ventilation is on both sides of the roof. Each vent is 5 inches x 40 inches.

 

[LilRedmamma]

Did I miss the coop dimensions? Three 16 wk olds need at least a 3x5 coop, double that for the next 3… will they all be in the same coop from the getgo? That’ll be a problem unless the coop has ample space for them to fly to the perch and stretch out on the perches. (A red light helps minimize aggression, a real issue with birds.)
If you’re at all handy, create more ventilation- depending on the weather zone you live it can get very hot inside.) Good luck