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[Chaos18]

At 4 months they want to start breeding. Hopefully he will go after the laying hens. The hens may not be aggressive now, but with new comers there attitude might change. Hens can be more aggressive with new comers than roosters.

I'm hoping that he does, as he is starting to crow and it sounds terrible

so hopefully some "mature" girls will get his juices flowing and everybody will live in peace

Given the choice, I believe I'd turn 'em out in the run, assuming it's a large one. As I said, that's what I did, and it worked, but my run was about 12x20, and the smaller ones had room to run away from the older ones if need be. I'd do it first thing of a morning; ideally, they'd get things sorted out before the whole gang was confined in the coop all night with nowhere for the youngsters to run. That could be a blood bath. My youngsters were 16-18 weeks old when I put them in with the hens; a bit older than yours. Also, someone mentioned that having a rooster present was a good idea, too. The first time I brought young birds into an existing flock there was a rooster with them; the second time there wasn't. I had no problems either way. Don't take any of this to the bank; just 'cause it worked for me doesn't mean it'll work in your situation; all I can fall back on is my own experience.

And all I can rely on is your experience to gain my own experience (or something along those lines)

Putting them in at night is the best. Then they wake up together. Confuses them.

So throw the newbies in the coop after the older girls go to bed?

 

[lindalouly]

Look at this yummy goodness. I only do this for them a couple times a week and they love it.

Is that for your birds... do you have a recipe??

 

[lindalouly]

Hey, Linda!
Where you been hiding, girl?

HI Whites!!!!

 

[fire370]

Is that for your birds... do you have a recipe??

That's my standard feed mix and I only ferment it a couple times a week as a treat. Way too many chickens to do it everyday. That bucket is on day 2 of fermenting and I'll feed it tomorrow or Wednesday.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

I'm hoping that he does, as he is starting to crow and it sounds terrible

so hopefully some "mature" girls will get his juices flowing and everybody will live in peace

And all I can rely on is your experience to gain my own experience (or something along those lines)

So throw the newbies in the coop after the older girls go to bed?

Yes!. In all honesty, I do none of these things really. Tried them all. Know I just throw the new ones in and say good luck. HAHAHA. Nobody ever dies or gets hurt too bad. Can take 1 hour to 2 hours. Could take a few days. With hens they will usually go at each other but never hurt each other. There thing is to keep the young ones from food and water. Thats how they show dominance. At first the new ones have to sneak food. But after awhile they blend in.

 

[fire370]

Yes!. In all honesty, I do none of these things really. Tried them all. Know I just throw the new ones in and say good luck. HAHAHA. Nobody ever dies or gets hurt too bad. Can take 1 hour to 2 hours. Could take a few days. With hens they will usually go at each other but never hurt each other. There thing is to keep the young ones from food and water. Thats how they show dominance. At first the new ones have to sneak food. But after awhile they blend in.

I do these same. Sink or swim.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

I do these same. Sink or swim.

Right. Years ago I worried to death if they could handle it. To stressful to me. I figured out I had to let them be chickens. Do there thing. Cant train them to be any different. Just have to put them together and walk away. Again, the biggest thing is just make sure they can defend themselves.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

You cant put a 12 yr old on a football field with grown men.

 

[chicken hawk 33]

Ms@SALLY SUNSHINEthe humidity is 46% idk why

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Even if the rooster is younger than the hens?

The question is this. I have a laying flock with a rooster and a group of youngsters with a rooster. The rooster in the laying flock is a peckerhead and will be losing his head. I want to put the youngsters (bout 3.5 months old) in with the laying hens that will be losing there rooster. When Kevin gets wacked is that a good time to throw everybody together? I don't care about the breeding aspect of it all. I want one happy group after the peckerhead loses.

The established flock is SLW and BA (3 of each) and the new ones will be CCL (3 hens and a roo). Should I just throw them all in the coop and let them sort it out or would leaving them in the run be a better option?


Say please.

Quote:

CC I get my boxes from our appliance sub contractor. The boxes for the washer dryer platform
Works great and condos are always added on. Composting afterwards. Works really well. This last batch I made a box out of grandkids old bunk bed that their dad brought over for me. Man after my own heart he was thinking of me.

Occasionally I'll be at Lowe's when they're stocking and they'll let me take the broken down boxes home. However, the large moving boxes are the right height and uniform so I have a place that I can put a row of 6 if it's too cold to brood outside. You can't beat the price. Free is better though.

If I did the math correctly, 40 1 week old ducklings will eat 20 pounds per week and 40 7 week old ducklings will eat 156 pounds per week. How much is a bag of chick starter or flock raiser? $20?

-Kathy

That depends on where you live. I guess everything is higher in CA.

I won't have to worry about the rooster part as the new one is a youngster (about 4 months old) and the hens I'll be adding to the fun fest are about 3.5 months old so I would think they could defend themselves. All the odds might not be in there favor as it'll be 6 older birds (all laying hens) to the 4 younger birds( 3 girls and 1 boy) but everything will be messed up because the top of the pecking order is being removed and none of the girls are aggressive whatsoever.

Quote:

Given the choice, I believe I'd turn 'em out in the run, assuming it's a large one. As I said, that's what I did, and it worked, but my run was about 12x20, and the smaller ones had room to run away from the older ones if need be. I'd do it first thing of a morning; ideally, they'd get things sorted out before the whole gang was confined in the coop all night with nowhere for the youngsters to run. That could be a blood bath. My youngsters were 16-18 weeks old when I put them in with the hens; a bit older than yours. Also, someone mentioned that having a rooster present was a good idea, too. The first time I brought young birds into an existing flock there was a rooster with them; the second time there wasn't. I had no problems either way. Don't take any of this to the bank; just 'cause it worked for me doesn't mean it'll work in your situation; all I can fall back on is my own experience.

Quote:

I'm hoping that he does, as he is starting to crow and it sounds terrible

so hopefully some "mature" girls will get his juices flowing and everybody will live in peace

And all I can rely on is your experience to gain my own experience (or something along those lines)

So throw the newbies in the coop after the older girls go to bed?

All the methods suggested can work.
Since the older hens are more numerous, putting them in the younger ones' coop will lessen the chance they'll be the aggressors since it won't be their home turf.
Free ranging together first works well but only if they don't get lost at night an can't find their way home.


Quote:

You cant put a 12 yr old on a football field with grown men.

Only if he's the waterboy.