Integrating 2 flocks

[Chez Poulette]

I need some advice on introducing 2 flocks. We have 5 hens that are 2 years old. We recently rescued what we thought was going to be 6 pullets that needed to be removed from a horse barn. When we arrived there were 6 approx 1 year old hens and 2 smaller birds that the owner thought were about 2 months younger. We took them all home and set up a coop and run sharing a wall with the existing coop. They have been near each other for about 2 weeks. We have also discovered that one of the little ones is a rooster. How and when should we introduce them and add them to the flock?

 

[Mrs. K]

Is the orange coop the temporary coop? If by chance that is your main coop, you do not have room to double your flock.

All of your birds are mature - and you are adding about equal numbers. You have basically doubled your flock to have a dozen birds - you need a good size shed for a coop or this is apt to be a disaster. Space is incredibly important.

Now to make this work (assuming you do have enough room) a good thing to do is flip places. Put your new birds in the main coop, and original birds where you have the new birds. For two-three days.

Chickens are territorial, often times people wind up in real wrecks, cause they put new birds in a strange coop, with strange birds, and they are chased mercilessly. Where as, if you can put the new birds in the new coop, and let them find hide outs, and feed dishes and get comfortable there, it really helps, and I swear it helps the other birds see them in there and the sky doesn't fall.

If they are sharing a wall quarantine is a moot point, and you can begin putting them together anytime you have sufficient time to keep them under your eye. Multiple feed bowls set behind hide outs, or mini walls or pallets so that a bird eating at one station can't see a bird eating at another station are also good strategies.

Adding more birds at one time is better, and truthfully I would expect a little bluster, and maybe a dust up or two, but then I would expect it to settle and not be a big problem at all.

Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

To me those look younger than 10 or 12 months. Are they laying yet? If they are not laying and are still juveniles that can complicate it even more. People do it all the time but the process probably changes some.

Before I can offer any specific suggestions I need to know what you have to work with. How big, in feet or meters, are your various coops and runs? How are they tied together? Photos of the individual coops and runs and the inside of your main coop showing roosts and nests might be helpful. Do they free range? From your photos your weather will not be an issue. Without detailed knowledge we can offer generic suggestions like house them side by side for a week or two, give them as much room as you can when you let them out together, maybe improve the quality of your room by adding clutter if needed (things for them to hide under, behind, or above), give them multiple feeding and watering stations to minimize conflict, and take it slow when you can observe.

 

[Chez Poulette]

Is the orange coop the temporary coop? If by chance that is your main coop, you do not have room to double your flock.

All of your birds are mature - and you are adding about equal numbers. You have basically doubled your flock to have a dozen birds - you need a good size shed for a coop or this is apt to be a disaster. Space is incredibly important.

Now to make this work (assuming you do have enough room) a good thing to do is flip places. Put your new birds in the main coop, and original birds where you have the new birds. For two-three days.

Chickens are territorial, often times people wind up in real wrecks, cause they put new birds in a strange coop, with strange birds, and they are chased mercilessly. Where as, if you can put the new birds in the new coop, and let them find hide outs, and feed dishes and get comfortable there, it really helps, and I swear it helps the other birds see them in there and the sky doesn't fall.

If they are sharing a wall quarantine is a moot point, and you can begin putting them together anytime you have sufficient time to keep them under your eye. Multiple feed bowls set behind hide outs, or mini walls or pallets so that a bird eating at one station can't see a bird eating at another station are also good strategies.

Adding more birds at one time is better, and truthfully I would expect a little bluster, and maybe a dust up or two, but then I would expect it to settle and not be a big problem at all.

Mrs K

Thanks so much for the advice. The coop in the video is a tiny one we bought in a half hour because we had to pick up the birds with little notice. The main coop is 3 times bigger than the numbers they give you and the run is 4 or 5 times bigger than needed.
W also heard to put them in at night when the others are asleep and they wake up together. Has anyone tried that?

 

[Chez Poulette]

To me those look younger than 10 or 12 months. Are they laying yet? If they are not laying and are still juveniles that can complicate it even more. People do it all the time but the process probably changes some.

Before I can offer any specific suggestions I need to know what you have to work with. How big, in feet or meters, are your various coops and runs? How are they tied together? Photos of the individual coops and runs and the inside of your main coop showing roosts and nests might be helpful. Do they free range? From your photos your weather will not be an issue. Without detailed knowledge we can offer generic suggestions like house them side by side for a week or two, give them as much room as you can when you let them out together, maybe improve the quality of your room by adding clutter if needed (things for them to hide under, behind, or above), give them multiple feeding and watering stations to minimize conflict, and take it slow when you can observe.

I am not sure how old they are, they are not laying yet. We do have ample room in the main coop but I just ordered a 7x 9 foot coop that I will trick out with an elevated platform across the back with a PDZ tray and an isolation area below. The rousing bar will be above the tray. We need a designated area for injured or sick birds or if they need a little timeout.
I am good with designing and building but don’t know all I need to about chicken management yet.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Integration can be one of the harder things about chicken management yet we do it all the time. Usually successfully. My definition of success is that no one gets hurt. The reason I asked if they were laying is that my pullets tend to form a subflock, avoiding the adults day and night by keeping their distance but no violence. If they invade the personal space of an adult they are likely to get pecked so they quickly learn to not get that close. About the time they start to lay is when the adults accept them into the flock and they start roosting together and hanging together, at least part of the time.

After two weeks, the way I'd add them to the flock is to first try to just turn them loose and see what happens. I'm not sure how much room you have outside, but usually if you have sufficient room outside the young will quickly learn to stay apart. The adults don't chase them to hurt them. Have separate eating and watering places so they can all eat without conflict. See how it goes. Often it is that easy.

Your biggest issue may be where the juveniles sleep. Often the adults are fairly brutal about not allowing them to sleep on the main roosts with them. If they want to sleep separately I'd let them as long as it is predator safe.

W also heard to put them in at night when the others are asleep and they wake up together. Has anyone tried that?

That's the way I do it with one strong qualifier. I don't try that until they have proven to me that they can coexist roaming around outside without conflict for at least a week. The way my system is set up it's usually a month of peacefully roaming together but a week could be enough. They are usually around 12 weeks of age when I try it. Nothing magical about 12 weeks, just the age it works out to be.

When I'm ready I wait until dark and put the chicks on the coop floor and lock the door. My coop is dark enough they can't see to attack each other. Then I'm down there at first light to see how it's going. With my 8x12 coop and them being used to each other I've never had a problem but it is possible you could see a lot of conflict. If you do then let's talk.

While writing this I'm thinking juveniles. If they are already adults it shouldn't be that hard. The problem with juveniles is that they have to mature before they'll stand up to the adults. It can be more violent in the short term with other adults but it's usually over much quicker.

 

[Chez Poulette]

Integration can be one of the harder things about chicken management yet we do it all the time. Usually successfully. My definition of success is that no one gets hurt. The reason I asked if they were laying is that my pullets tend to form a subflock, avoiding the adults day and night by keeping their distance but no violence. If they invade the personal space of an adult they are likely to get pecked so they quickly learn to not get that close. About the time they start to lay is when the adults accept them into the flock and they start roosting together and hanging together, at least part of the time.

After two weeks, the way I'd add them to the flock is to first try to just turn them loose and see what happens. I'm not sure how much room you have outside, but usually if you have sufficient room outside the young will quickly learn to stay apart. The adults don't chase them to hurt them. Have separate eating and watering places so they can all eat without conflict. See how it goes. Often it is that easy.

Your biggest issue may be where the juveniles sleep. Often the adults are fairly brutal about not allowing them to sleep on the main roosts with them. If they want to sleep separately I'd let them as long as it is predator safe.


That's the way I do it with one strong qualifier. I don't try that until they have proven to me that they can coexist roaming around outside without conflict for at least a week. The way my system is set up it's usually a month of peacefully roaming together but a week could be enough. They are usually around 12 weeks of age when I try it. Nothing magical about 12 weeks, just the age it works out to be.

When I'm ready I wait until dark and put the chicks on the coop floor and lock the door. My coop is dark enough they can't see to attack each other. Then I'm down there at first light to see how it's going. With my 8x12 coop and them being used to each other I've never had a problem but it is possible you could see a lot of conflict. If you do then let's talk.

While writing this I'm thinking juveniles. If they are already adults it shouldn't be that hard. The problem with juveniles is that they have to mature before they'll stand up to the adults. It can be more violent in the short term with other adults but it's usually over much quicker.

Thanks so much for your advice. I am not sure how old the new girls are , the previous owner thought about one year. They are not laying yet and their combs are just coming in. I am also worried about how the little rooster will make out. I plan on opening up a space between the runs for them to mingle this week. Should they be separated again at night?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'd wait until they have proven that they can coexist together during the day. That does not mean they mingle, just that they don't try to hurt each other. If they can manage a week peacefully you can try.