Hello Everyone,
On June 6th of this year I had bought six 3-4week old Americana chicks straight run from a local breeder, they are almost 4 months now. From the day I purchased them I placed them in a 16x16 broody pen with a coop that is inside my larger chicken run for my hens. They stayed in there for the next 2 months where they could be seen and heard by the older hens but not touched and I decided to try and integrate them as a need arose for my broody pen. They have been out of the pen for a few weeks now and are sleeping in the larger coop with all my other hens however they still do not try and roost with them or when they free range they do not eat with them or hangout with them in any way. Its like they are two separate flocks rather than one. I had to place multiple feeders and waterers in their run so some of the older hens wouldn't chase them off from eating or drinking. Now they don't bother the younger ones anymore but still they wont eat or free range with them. While my older flock of hens goes out to free range the younger flock just stays in the run and to themselves foraging in there. Unfortunately, 4 of my 6 ameraucauna chicks have turned out to be roo's so I will be keeping the two pullets and one maybe two of the roos so I worry about the 3 or 4 remaining birds if they never get 'accepted' into the main flock. Is this normal because of the age difference( the young ones are 4 months and the older hens are 1 and1/2- 2 years old) or is it something else? I've integrated four 5 month old hens with my older girls just before letting the young ones out and within a week and a few days they were all settled in roosting, foraging, and walking around together no problems unlike with my ameracaunas.
On June 6th of this year I had bought six 3-4week old Americana chicks straight run from a local breeder, they are almost 4 months now. From the day I purchased them I placed them in a 16x16 broody pen with a coop that is inside my larger chicken run for my hens. They stayed in there for the next 2 months where they could be seen and heard by the older hens but not touched and I decided to try and integrate them as a need arose for my broody pen. They have been out of the pen for a few weeks now and are sleeping in the larger coop with all my other hens however they still do not try and roost with them or when they free range they do not eat with them or hangout with them in any way. Its like they are two separate flocks rather than one. I had to place multiple feeders and waterers in their run so some of the older hens wouldn't chase them off from eating or drinking. Now they don't bother the younger ones anymore but still they wont eat or free range with them. While my older flock of hens goes out to free range the younger flock just stays in the run and to themselves foraging in there. Unfortunately, 4 of my 6 ameraucauna chicks have turned out to be roo's so I will be keeping the two pullets and one maybe two of the roos so I worry about the 3 or 4 remaining birds if they never get 'accepted' into the main flock. Is this normal because of the age difference( the young ones are 4 months and the older hens are 1 and1/2- 2 years old) or is it something else? I've integrated four 5 month old hens with my older girls just before letting the young ones out and within a week and a few days they were all settled in roosting, foraging, and walking around together no problems unlike with my ameracaunas.
