Integrating mixed flock

[Adelaar]

This is my first year raising chickens and ended up getting a variety of chicks staggered throughout the spring. I’m debating on how/if to start mixing them.

My oldest group is 6 full size pullets about 18wks old now with variety of breeds (australorp, Easter egger, sapphire gem, 2 RIR, possible leghorn). Then I got 3 bantam barnyard mixes, all seem to be pullets so far, who are now about 12-13wks old. Then I got 3 lavenders who are 9-10wks old… 1 lavender Orpington who ended up as a cockerel with 2 lavender ameraucanas that ended up as 1 cockerel and 1 pullet (before you ask, the ameraucanas both have dark slate legs and full beard/muffs and are from a local breeder, not hatchery stock, but obviously no eggs yet to be sure it’s blue egg).

The lavender pullet was starting to get harassed by the 2 cockerels so I separated her and moved her in with the bantam pullets who at the time were similar size but obviously she has continued to outgrow them since then. So far though, the 3 bantams and 1 lavender pullet are still getting along well though.

Right now, I have the older pullets in a coop (8’x8’ where chickens have the lower level and made a separated second story within the coop for guineas to roost in rafters) with a fully enclosed 10’x20’ chicken run. The bantams and lavender pullet are in a grow out coop (commercial 25 sqft coop with attached run) directly adjacent to big chicken run. The cockerels are still in brooder while I’m trying to decide how/when to arrange everybody.

I’m worried about introducing the bantams to bigger pullets as the bantams will never be similarly sized so I’m debating on letting the 3 bantams stay in the commercial coop??? But then there may not be enough pullets for the 2 boys so debating on trying them supervised vs making a bachelor coop which will take a little bit of time to make. Is it worth introducing cockerels in wire dog kennel when they’re still slightly smaller than pullets so the pullets start out putting them in their place before the ego goes to their heads? Or still keep them separate a few more weeks til they’re full grown? The boys are similar size to my smallest of the older pullets (I think my smallest might be a leghorn and then my Easter egger is not much bigger than leghorn) but the australorp would be much larger than boys now and she is def the boss bird.

I know I’ll need a minimum of 2 chicken pens since I don’t think it would work out well with an Orpington cockerel and bantam pullets but I’m hoping it might be possible to keep it at 2 pens instead of 3 (plus guineas) to make upkeep a little more consolidated….

 

[Mrs. K]

Whew! I lost count twice - I think you have a dozen birds? I would keep the bantams in the smaller coop/run. Although some people do mix them without a problem.

I would put the older birds in the bigger set up, but to that set up I would add pallets, roosts, ladders, saw horses, mini walls and several places to eat that are out of sight. When you are combing birds, you really want to have places where a lower bird can get out of sight or away from other birds. It will look cluttered, but it will actually make use of the vertical space.

I would not plan to keep the roosters. If you really want roosters - didn't just accidentally get them, plan on adding one next year when you have more experience. Cockerels and roosters take some experience, and a lot more room. They can cause some very ugly behaviors in your flock.

But if you do keep them, do set up a plan B. Have it set up and ready to use when the boys get close to 12 weeks. A fish net, a dog crate, leather gloves to separate fighting birds. Hopefully you will never have to use it, but they won't wait if you need it.

People sometimes think that if they are raised together they won't fight, but that is not necessarily true.

Mrs K

 

[Adelaar]

Whew! I lost count twice - I think you have a dozen birds? I would keep the bantams in the smaller coop/run. Although some people do mix them without a problem.

I would put the older birds in the bigger set up, but to that set up I would add pallets, roosts, ladders, saw horses, mini walls and several places to eat that are out of sight. When you are combing birds, you really want to have places where a lower bird can get out of sight or away from other birds. It will look cluttered, but it will actually make use of the vertical space.

I would not plan to keep the roosters. If you really want roosters - didn't just accidentally get them, plan on adding one next year when you have more experience. Cockerels and roosters take some experience, and a lot more room. They can cause some very ugly behaviors in your flock.

But if you do keep them, do set up a plan B. Have it set up and ready to use when the boys get close to 12 weeks. A fish net, a dog crate, leather gloves to separate fighting birds. Hopefully you will never have to use it, but they won't wait if you need it.

People sometimes think that if they are raised together they won't fight, but that is not necessarily true.

Mrs K

Yes, there’s a dozen chickens in total 6 older pullets, 3 bantams, and 3 lavenders. We were not looking for roosters, just kept looking to find lavenders and those breeds sounded like generally more docile birds. We eventually only found them with local breeder after weeks of looking since we didn’t want to buy enough for minimum order with hatchery. But since they were 1-2 wk old chicks with local breeder, they were straight run.

The lavenders have all been very timid/flighty all along, even cockerels, so I’ll definitely take suggestion to really ramp up hiding places before introducing any of them to older pullets, even if it’s just the 1 lavender pullet to be introduced. I do have dog kennels, portable chicken runs, dog houses, leather gloves, fish net, etc already if boys do start to act up. So far, they still run to the far end of enclosure to stay away from me and huddle together in corner when I’m taking care of feeder/waterer or changing out shavings. But we have agreed that if they become aggressive or too difficult, they’ll have to go.