I just put the pullets in the coop with the big girls.....need advice.

[undergroundchickens]

I just put the pullets in the coop with the big girls using the cover of night

......

This will be my first time adding new birds to an established flocks coop and I am pretty nervous about it.

My big girls will be a year old on March 10th and the pullets will be about 21 weeks old.

I started this transition about 3 months ago when the babies went out to their own temporary heated coop/run. I let the big girls free range around their enclosure so they could see each other. As the pullets got closer in size I started to let them out together for small amounts of time while I supervised. Soon I was letting them free range together all day every day and they have been doing this for well over a month. They still keep separate flocks but the big girls are leaving the pullets alone more. Now that the pullets are looking like they are getting closer to lay I decided I needed to get them in the coop with the older hens so by the time they lay they know where they live and where the nest boxes are.

I plan on being out to open the coop up before light and to be close at hand as they start to wake up. I will let them out to free range all day and will continue to place the pullets back in the coop each night in hopes that they will learn this is their new home.

How long do you think it will take for the pullets to re-home themselves? Should I get rid of the temporary shelter the pullets have been living in tomorrow so they can't continue to try roosting there at night?

I am crossing fingers

and hoping for a smooth transition over the next week or two.

 

[jennh]

I have integrated 4 different flocks. I have always done it exactly as you have with no problems. I definitely WOULDN'T let them back in their temporary coop. They need to learn which one is their home. It might take a couple of weeks 'til they get the hang of it. Mine eventually started following the others in. Chickens really aren't as stupid as people think they are.

edited to add:
if you look at my avatar, there are two different flocks together there

JMHO,
Jen

 

[CathyM]

Good luck with that!!

Sounds like you have really given them a lot of time to get used to each other... tell us how it works out!!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

If you have a roo, I'd would remove him from the coop for now. He could see the newbies as a threat and kill them. I had one do that.

 

[Higins00]

I left my temporary coop alone. Every night I would take them out and put them back in the big coop. Eventually every night one more would understand to go back to the big coop. When I took the temporary one away they didn't know what to do or where to go. I had to go out with a flashlight and look all over the yard for them. Found them huttled under a bush. Once they figured out where they were walking out of every morning they started going back and left the temporary coop alone.

 

[undergroundchickens]

All went well today. I snuck out about 10 minutes before sunrise and opened the coop and run. I got busy topping off feeders to help them decide to come out. All the hens just sat and looked at the pullets and one by one filed out of the coop. I left the pullets in for about half an hour so they could check out the coop and then one by one I pushed them down and out of the coop as its exit door is in the floor and the birds have to jump down and go down a ramp to exit the coop. This new way of exiting a coop will take some getting used to for them as well. They survived this just fine. Now to just continue to repeat it daily until they get the hang of it and start doing it themselves.

I think I will leave the temp coop up so if it gets extra cold or windy the next few days they have a place to hang out in the day that they are used to sheltering in.

I imagined a blood bath when the big girls awoke to the new birds in their space...but all went well and as planned.

I don't have any roosters now...just my 10 girls so no worries there either.

Thank you!

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Sounds like you did everything right by the book! I have not experienced this yet; am getting new chicks in the spring and wondering - are there ever any shortcuts in this process? Has anyone ever had luck with Fast-tracking the introductions?

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

It sounds like you did everything right and that's what I do. I just integrated a bunch last week and everyone was suprised for all of about 15 minutes and then it was like they had lived together all along.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Quote:
I've had NO luck fast tracking, lots a fighting and stress. Only works when they are babies, maybe 12 weeks and under. When done by above method it works great!