- Nov 11, 2010
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I have two laying hens, in their 2nd summer of laying. I also have four new pullets that I got as chicks this spring. I've started trying to integrate the pullets in with the older birds.
Following tips from BYC, I first kept the pullets in their coop, where the older chickens could see them as they ranged. As the pullets got older, I let them range too, so that they would encounter the older hens as they walked about, but had plenty of room to run away. After a while of this, I tried putting the pullets on the hens' roost while they were sleeping. Thank goodness I got up early to make sure everything was okay! The hens had cornered the smallest of the pullets and were pecking it pretty savagely. So much for that!
My current strategy has been to put the hens in a portable cage, and to place that cage inside the pullets' coop. The birds spend all day together, but the hens can't attack the pullets. So far, it has been three days, and there hasn't really been much sign of improvement. Well, the pullets are no longer terrified of the hens as long as the hens are in the cage, so I guess that's a small improvement. None of the birds are really happy about not being able to range, though, and I find myself wondering how long the whole process is likely to take, or if there is anything I should be doing differently. I feel bad for my poor birds being locked up in "jail" all day, but I've got to get them happily coexisting, because I only have one permanent coop, and I need to get the pullets out of the temporary coop they're currently using.
Following tips from BYC, I first kept the pullets in their coop, where the older chickens could see them as they ranged. As the pullets got older, I let them range too, so that they would encounter the older hens as they walked about, but had plenty of room to run away. After a while of this, I tried putting the pullets on the hens' roost while they were sleeping. Thank goodness I got up early to make sure everything was okay! The hens had cornered the smallest of the pullets and were pecking it pretty savagely. So much for that!
My current strategy has been to put the hens in a portable cage, and to place that cage inside the pullets' coop. The birds spend all day together, but the hens can't attack the pullets. So far, it has been three days, and there hasn't really been much sign of improvement. Well, the pullets are no longer terrified of the hens as long as the hens are in the cage, so I guess that's a small improvement. None of the birds are really happy about not being able to range, though, and I find myself wondering how long the whole process is likely to take, or if there is anything I should be doing differently. I feel bad for my poor birds being locked up in "jail" all day, but I've got to get them happily coexisting, because I only have one permanent coop, and I need to get the pullets out of the temporary coop they're currently using.