Introducing 3 month old to existing 6 month old pullets

[Jrod69]

Hey everyone, I recently brought 2 - 3 month old ameracaunas home to my 2 older hens (different breeds) leghorn hybrid and a wellsummer I think, 6 months old. Have a 9x12 pen, with a small coop inside, large enough for 4 chickens. For the past 3 weeks I’ve kept the smaller pullets separate in a large dog crate in the pen, but let them out together in the pen for an hour or so. I’m feeling like I should wait to put them in the coop till they’re bigger, seeing how they get pushed around in the pen.
Any thoughts?

 

[CrazyCochin]

Hey everyone, I recently brought 2 - 3 month old ameracaunas home to my 2 older hens (different breeds) leghorn hybrid and a wellsummer I think, 6 months old. Have a 9x12 pen, with a small coop inside, large enough for 4 chickens. For the past 3 weeks I’ve kept the smaller pullets separate in a large dog crate in the pen, but let them out together in the pen for an hour or so. I’m feeling like I should wait to put them in the coop till they’re bigger, seeing how they get pushed around in the pen.
Any thoughts?

@Jrod69, you have a nice set up there!
Once our young ones are old enough, have plenty of their feathers grown in, and size on them, we just put them out with the big flock. Sure, they will get pushed around, but that is how they figure out who is the boss, and where you stand on the totem pole.

 

[CrazyCochin]

When we let ours out, at the right age, we lock them in the coop at night, that way they get into a habit of going in there for bed and protection.

 

[Jrod69]

@Jrod69, you have a nice set up there!
Once our young ones are old enough, have plenty of their feathers grown in, and size on them, we just put them out with the big flock. Sure, they will get pushed around, but that is how they figure out who is the boss, and where you stand on the totem pole.

Thanks

 

[Mrs. K]

I think you may be very tight on space for 4 chickens. A lot will depend on where in the world you are. You might need to leave them in the dog crate forever. I don't think you can fit 4 hens in that coop.

 

[aart]

I don't think you can fit 4 hens in that coop.

I don't either.

Any thoughts?

Coop's mighty small.
Chicken wire is not predator proof.

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[aart]

Here's some tips about.....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[adstowe]

You've clearly put some effort into your setup, but those tiny little prefab "coops" are not good for much. You did great adding the run, but you'll have a hard time trying to make a couple of pre-existing birds accept the new ones in that little coop. It may sound ghetto, but for now you could easily pick up a used doghouse on Craigslist and throw a root in it for the new ones. That would buy you some time.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you located? Climate matters, particularly when it comes to housing.

Unfortunately, the manufacturers of those dollhouse coops lie about how many birds they actually hold -- basing their numbers on legal minimums for commercial birds under intensive management.

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

4 hens

• 16 square feet in the coop. 4'x4' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber.
• 4 feet of roost
• 40 square feet in the run. 4'x10' or 5'x8'. 6'x6' is a bit too small, 6'x8' is more generous and easier to build than 5'x8'.
• 4 square feet of ventilation. A 2'x2' window is theoretically enough, but in practice doesn't create any air FLOW so better to spread the venting around (and even better to exceed the minimums, especially in warm climates).
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

My Little Monitor Coop was designed (on the advice of experts here), to meet all the minimums for 4 hens: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/

Integration, however, takes extra space above and beyond the suggested guidelines.

Here's a thread about how someone converted a prefab to make it more useful: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

 

[Jrod69]

I don't either.


Coop's mighty small.
Chicken wire is not predator proof.

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 2883167

I’m in NJ, by the shore. I knew this was a starter coop when I got it. I had 4-6 month old pullets that seemed fine in there, sold 2, and picked up 2- 3 month old pullets. I know that the coop space is tight, so I’m worried about putting the younger ones in there. Maybe I’ll wait another month till there closer to the same size...