How would you introduce 2 hens to 10 pullets?

[GiddyUpGo]

I lost most of my flock in a bear attack last winter. I’m down to two hens. I rebuilt my coop and added an enclosed henhouse and hot wire to keep the bears out. This spring we got 10 chicks. I set up their brooder in a converted rabbit hutch and put it in the henhouse, so my two hens have seen the chicks every day and sleep in the same space as them, though they obviously have mesh separating them.

A lot of the advice regarding introducing new chicks to hens suggests putting them in adjacent enclosures so they can see each other; we’ve kind of already done that since the chicks have grown up in sight of the hens.

So I’m hoping to get advice on how to mix them. I know 8 weeks is the absolute minimum age the chicks should be but I also think they’re going to outgrow the hutch by then. I might have to give them the run of the coop and put the two hens somewhere else for a while, since the coop and henhouse would be tough to divide up safely. I also have a 10x12 tractor I could put them in together for supervised visits. Any advice on a good age given that the hens are kind of used to them and how to do it safely?

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

I lost most of my flock in a bear attack last winter. I’m down to two hens. I rebuilt my coop and added an enclosed henhouse and hot wire to keep the bears out. This spring we got 10 chicks. I set up their brooder in a converted rabbit hutch and put it in the henhouse, so my two hens have seen the chicks every day and sleep in the same space as them, though they obviously have mesh separating them.

A lot of the advice regarding introducing new chicks to hens suggests putting them in adjacent enclosures so they can see each other; we’ve kind of already done that since the chicks have grown up in sight of the hens.

So I’m hoping to get advice on how to mix them. I know 8 weeks is the absolute minimum age the chicks should be but I also think they’re going to outgrow the hutch by then. I might have to give them the run of the coop and put the two hens somewhere else for a while, since the coop and henhouse would be tough to divide up safely. I also have a 10x12 tractor I could put them in together for supervised visits. Any advice on a good age given that the hens are kind of used to them and how to do it safely?

once they are of similar size, just toss 'em in. they'll probably get pecked at a little, but the kids will have safety in numbers, and the elders will be experienced enough to hold their own in a fight, if the chicks turn out to be the aggressors.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So I’m hoping to get advice on how to mix them. I know 8 weeks is the absolute minimum age the chicks should be but I also think they’re going to outgrow the hutch by then. I might have to give them the run of the coop and put the two hens somewhere else for a while, since the coop and henhouse would be tough to divide up safely.

How old are the pullets? How much space do you have in the coop and in the run? Photos would help here, to assess not just the size but the quality of the space. If you have enough room and clutter to provide hiding spots: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/page-6#post-25037140 you can probably proceed to face to face interaction at this point.

8 weeks is more like the maximum age if you want to do early integration, as the chicks get too big to fit into spaces that only they can squeeze into. I'm done with integration at 4 weeks: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/short-on-time-recycle-a-prefab-brooder.73985/

 

[mcdze]

put the pullets in with them if theres only 2 hens.. as long as theyre 3 weeks plus shouldnt be much of an issue ..

 

[GiddyUpGo]

How old are the pullets? How much space do you have in the coop and in the run? Photos would help here, to assess not just the size but the quality of the space. If you have enough room and clutter to provide hiding spots: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/page-6#post-25037140 you can probably proceed to face to face interaction at this point.

8 weeks is more like the maximum age if you want to do early integration, as the chicks get too big to fit into spaces that only they can squeeze into. I'm done with integration at 4 weeks: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/short-on-time-recycle-a-prefab-brooder.73985/

They are 4 and 5 weeks old. The coop is on the small side (72 sq ft) but the tractor they go out in every day is 120 sq ft. We can add some clutter though there isn't much there now. I can add some photos later today.

 

[GiddyUpGo]

Hey I just wanted to make a note here about how this went. I've always waited until my chicks were older before introducing them to adult hens but this year it was complicated since I had so many chicks and so few hens and no good way to keep them separate as they got bigger. I decided to follow the advice I got here about early integration and I put them all out in the 10 x 12 run together for a few supervised visits. Chicks were 4.5 and 5.5 weeks old at the time. They've grown up in a hutch in our henhouse, so the older hens were already used to seeing them.

No problems at all in the run, even the first time. The oldest hen clucked around them like a mother. The younger one pecked a few of them, but gently. She didn't pursue them relentlessly and aggressively like I've seen sometimes when hens are introduced to older pullets.

After a few times together in the run I felt ready to put them in the coop together. Still no problems. I can't believe how easy this was and I certainly regret that I've been doing it the hard way all these years. Thanks so much for the advice.