integrating flocks/egg eating

[ChickieKeeta]

I have 8 hens a year old. I got 21 red stars & 1 polish
hatched Feb 14. After brooding them inside about 2 months
I divided the run and put the newcomers in half the run. I gave them an extra large dog house and had a reptile heat
lamp in the house for a while. I removed the divider just over a week ago. During the day the stars will enter the large coop & even sit on the roosts. At night the youngsters stay in the dog house. I have to put food and water in or near the dog house as the hens will chase them from "their" food & water in the coop. The hens now sometimes lay in places other than the nest boxes. Today I found an open & eaten egg up on the roosts. Do I need to build separate quarters for the 2 flocks?

 

[patyrdz]

I wouldn't think you would need to separate them. Do you give them grit or oyster shells? This is usually caused be a vitamin deficiency. Good luck, I hope you can put a stop to the egg eater!

 

[ChickieKeeta]

Thank you for your reply. I do give them crushed oyster
shell. I was thinking perhaps the change in behavior was a reaction to the "intruders." They lay in the nest boxes before
the 6 others came into their space. I am guessing the younger ones pecked at the egg up on the roosts out of curiosity. It was a blue egg. The red stars should begin laying late June to mid July. My 8 older girls are BO, EE, &
RIR.

This morning I found a "geletin-like" brown egg on the roosts. This would indicate a lack of calcium. I mix some
oyster shell in the layer pellets & leave some in the coop as free choice. Is there anything else I can do or give them?

 

[cmom]

I have a golf ball in each nest box and I added another pop door so the pullets have another escape route. Now they are all together just fine. I have a feeder and waterer in their run as well as in their coop.