How to merge integrated flocks into the same coop?

[sunflour]

I have 2 - 4.5 year old hens remaining from my first flock and added newbies this year. The young's are now 18 weeks old - and have been acceptably integrated into living together in an all-in one coop/run with part-day access to an outdoor area. The older hens still sleep in the "big" coop and the youngers sleep in a small "temporary coop". They are not friends... the young ones have learned to keep to theirselves and out of the elders' way. Leaving the big coop's door open 24 hours daily for a few weeks has allowed the young to explore the big coop and IMO feel comfortable there. There are no serious conflicts among the two groups.

I think it's time to try to move the young ones into the big coop and remove their smaller house BEFORE they start laying.

***My question is : what is the best plan to accomplish the move?***

Any ideas welcomed.

I am thinking about just removing the temporary coop and see what happens?

 

[orrpeople]

Night time is your friend. If you put the young ones in at dark, then remove their temporary coop, and they sleep all night together, there will still be a bit of ruckus in the morning, but because they will have already been there a while, it shouldn't be as bad.
Keep in mind, you may be the recipient of some "stink eye" for a few days, but odds are, after a week the new arrangement will just be normal to all concerned! Best of luck with your flock!

 

[Mrs. K]

Close up the juvenile coop so that they can't enter it. The old biddies will go to bed first, and the young ones will stay out, (just like teenagers) and then they will try out the big girls coop, especially as they have already poked around in there.

 

[sunflour]

Thank you for the replies. I just needed someone to "push" me to get this done

Having reintegrated a recovered hen in the past, I know that these 2 grumpy hens can be quite mean about roost access, even after dark. And it is really up to the young ones to handle those conflicts.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My pullets generally are able to force their way into the pecking order about the time they start to lay. Until then the older hens are higher in the pecking order. Until my pullets mature enough to force their way in, they will not share the main roosts. The time my chickens are most brutal to each other is when they are going to bed. My younger ones find a safer place to sleep than the main roosts. I put in a juvenile roost for these occasions. It’s lower than the main roosts, higher than the nests, and horizontally separated from the main roosts. This gives my younger chicks a safe place to roost that is not my nests. Your main coop is kind of small so I don’t know how much flexibility you have in this. (Thanks for the photos, they help)

I raise my chicks with the flock. The brooder is in the coop so they grow up together. Often I move them to a grow-out coop when I take them out of the brooder, but that grow-out coop and its run is next to the main run so they are still “with” the flock. After they have learned to sleep in the grow-out coop I let them run with the main flock during the day but they return to their safe place to sleep at night.

When I decide to move them into the main coop to sleep, anywhere after 12 weeks of age depending on what else is going on, I physically lock them in the main coop after dark and lock up the grow-out coop so they cannot get back in there. My main coop is a big walk-in so I just put them on the floor. The next morning I’m down there around daylight to see how it is going and open the pop door. I keep doing that until I’m comfortable there will not be a massacre when they wake up. I’ve never seen any serious problems in my big walk-in coop so that’s usually just once or twice. I still consider it a prudent precaution because with chicken behaviors you just never know. Different chickens have different personalities.

Most times they go to bed in the main coop after that but sometimes some or all go back to the grow-out coop area and try to sleep there. After dark when they are easy to catch I move them to the main coop. It usually doesn’t take long for them to make that switch.

Yours have been together during the day so yes they are integrated. They still have pecking order differences because of maturity levels. In that small coop I don’t know how this will work out, you can but try. I think once your pullets start to lay they will probably use the nests even if they are still sleeping outside, mine tend to let the older hens show them where to lay. If the move doesn’t work out I would probably let them continue sleeping outside until they start laying and mature into adults. At that time with your set-up they will probably move themselves inside.

Good luck!

 

[aart]

Can't really see the 'big' coop...how big is it?
And how many birds total?
Can you put up a separate roost for younguns?

 

[sunflour]

force their way into the pecking order about the time they start to lay.

Interesting! They are still working out their own order, and the one I think will be #1 of the young is the boldest to the elders.

I think once your pullets start to lay they will probably use the nests even if they are still sleeping outside, mine tend to let the older hens show them where to lay.

They have been sitting in the big coop when Road Runner is laying - so guess that will help the learning curve.

I would probably let them continue sleeping outside until they start laying and mature into adults. At that time with your set-up they will probably move themselves inside.

This would be a lot easier than forcing a change.


Thank you so much for the input.

 

[sunflour]

Can't really see the 'big' coop...how big is it?
And how many birds total?
Can you put up a separate roost for younguns?

The "big coop" is a whopping approximately, 4 by 5 feet long. The 2 roosts are almost 5 feet long but they are 18 inches off the back wall..with 18 inches between the two roosts and 16 or so inches off the front open door side.

6 total birds....There are 2 - 4+ year old hens & 4 - 18 week old Welsummers.

I thought about dividing the area, but it is really too small.

 

[aart]

The "big coop" is a whopping approximately, 4 by 5 feet long. The 2 roosts are almost 5 feet long but they are 18 inches off the back wall..with 18 inches between the two roosts and 16 or so inches off the front open door side.

6 total birds....There are 2 - 4+ year old hens & 4 - 18 week old Welsummers.

I thought about dividing the area, but it is really too small.

That sounds pretty good....it'll work out in time.

Good advice here:
↑
I would probably let them continue sleeping outside until they start laying and mature into adults. At that time with your set-up they will probably move themselves inside.
This would be a lot easier than forcing a change.

 

[sunflour]

That sounds pretty good....it'll work out in time.

Good advice here:
↑
I would probably let them continue sleeping outside until they start laying and mature into adults. At that time with your set-up they will probably move themselves inside.
This would be a lot easier than forcing a change.

Will do, thank you for your response Definitely a lot easier and less stressful for a nervous chicken mom