Integrating New Pullets into the Flock

[Melky]

Thanks again for the reassurance! I am looking forward to that someday.



The rooster and older birds are 19 months (May 2017), aprox 1 year older then the pullets. I got them as day old chicks.

What is a good age to integrate chickens? Say I try this again some day.

When they are about same in size.

 

[Mrs. K]

Once the pullets begin laying, it should settle down, if it does not, always settle for the peace of the flock. It is very upsetting to the whole flock to do all that pecking and fighting, it might be that you have too many birds.

If this does not settle down when they start laying, then pull one or two birds from this flock. Until you get peace.

Mrs K

 

[Peppercorngal]

Wow, I'm glad I'm not going through what you are! I know of no easy way to integrate except to have two separate coops and runs. Which I do. I have my "original" flock in coop one which has a nice 30'x20' run attached. I have a fenced off area for free ranging that is about 65'x50'. So when they leave the run they are still "enclosed". I obtained 4 Delaware hens from a neighbor that moved and I put them in coop and run number two. I didn't let them out for 2 weeks. That coop is smaller, but the run is bigger, probably 35'x35'. I would let my original flock out to free range and they would look at each other through the chicken wire. I finally let them all out to free range together. There was some chasing, but no catching and no fighting. It took some time, but now one of the Delawares has moved into coop one! And two of the original flock has moved into coop two! The two from the original flock that moved into coop two are at the bottom of the pecking order. So I let everyone go sleep where they want and it's been interesting to watch them get along and move around. Good luck with your flock. I'm sure with time it will be fine.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thanks again for the reassurance! I am looking forward to that someday.



The rooster and older birds are 19 months (May 2017), aprox 1 year older then the pullets. I got them as day old chicks.

What is a good age to integrate chickens? Say I try this again some day.

I integrate when my chicks are 4-8 weeks generally.

 

[aart]

What is a good age to integrate chickens? Say I try this again some day.

I like to brood in coop and integrate young....it's MUCH easier than waiting until they are the same size(which is an older technique written, and copied, everywhere).
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[Joyze172]

Wow, I'm glad I'm not going through what you are! I know of no easy way to integrate except to have two separate coops and runs. Which I do. I have my "original" flock in coop one which has a nice 30'x20' run attached. I have a fenced off area for free ranging that is about 65'x50'. So when they leave the run they are still "enclosed". I obtained 4 Delaware hens from a neighbor that moved and I put them in coop and run number two. I didn't let them out for 2 weeks. That coop is smaller, but the run is bigger, probably 35'x35'. I would let my original flock out to free range and they would look at each other through the chicken wire. I finally let them all out to free range together. There was some chasing, but no catching and no fighting. It took some time, but now one of the Delawares has moved into coop one! And two of the original flock has moved into coop two! The two from the original flock that moved into coop two are at the bottom of the pecking order. So I let everyone go sleep where they want and it's been interesting to watch them get along and move around. Good luck with your flock. I'm sure with time it will be fine.

Thank you for the advice. This next summer I might rearrange our set up and include a 2nd smaller coop in the 1 acre yard to give them a few options. With winter here it would be hard to do with the ground frozen.

I like to brood in coop and integrate young....it's MUCH easier than waiting until they are the same size(which is an older technique written, and copied, everywhere).
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

Great article, I am not sure how to arrange my coop the way you did and add the brooder. Exploring the idea for sure. My chickens only sleep in the coop at daylight they all leave and then they don’t go back in until night fall.


Update:
Since my last post I started putting the rooster in a dog crate in the greenhouse every morning with the pullets and 2 main flock hens and at night put him in a crate in the garage for at least a week.

The 2 hens from the main flock and the 4 pullets integrated pretty good. There are still some evening roosting, pecking and adjusting going on. However not brutal and one night the pullets slept with 1 of my main flock hens or rather she was where they usually sleep now on the roost and she could not peck them off. I still have the clear shower curtain up on 1/2 of the roost bar and that seems to help a lot.

All was going good I feel except I have to get up and move the rooster every morning and night. With the holidays it’s hard if we have to leave before dusk to a family event. But we manage. The other disadvantage is due to the water freezing in the crate with the rooster. Temperatures have been really nice at mid day but then dip into freezing temps in the AM and PM. I ordered a electric crate water dish and plan to give that a try.

So today I decided to let the rooster out of the crate and mingle with all 6 hens. I will be honest I am a bit nervous but at some point it has to be done.



At first the pullets were nervous and darting around. I also rearranged hay bales and moved the crate so it could have been all the change. It seems that adding the rooster split the groups again, pullets and main flock. But this time around the pullets seem less afraid of the rooster and he doesn’t chase them relentlessly, mostly if they get too close. For the most part the 2 groups stay on opposite sides of the greenhouse. The pullets keep pushing the boundaries by doing chicken things closer and closer to the rooster until he runs them off. Sometimes they are as close and 1 ft from his tail. He will stand there looking at them until he is good and ready to run them off. But it has only been 1/2 a day worth of the rooster being out and monitoring.

 

[Joyze172]

It's been a while since I updated my winter integration.

So this happened for the first time! Yes it's my chicken cam .

It might be hard to count but 4 pullets, 1 hen (white looking 1) and the rooster are all squished together between the clear plastic divider and the right wall on a 10 degree night.

This all transpired after the rooster had a toe injury. He had to be in a dog crate in the house for a couple of days. I put him back out an hour before bed. That night they all slept on different sides of the coop. The next day it was in the 30's and beautiful. The pullets followed him and the other hens out into the yard. Then tonight I was shocked to witness what I have been so hoping for.!! I am sure there will be days when I see the pullets and main flock seperate but day by day they are getting along a bit more.

I still have 2 more of the main flock to integrate. One being the Queen hen and one that I caught plucking feathers back in November. These 2 are no longer in dog crates in the garage but in a smaller set up until I know the others are settled in good. I learned not to be to hasty at introducing sassy hens too soon. It set me back quite a bit last time I tried.