We have 6 adult hens and 10 18 week old chicks (one of them being a roo). They've been co-habitating in neighboring coops seperated by chicken wire. We'd like to de-comission the small coop/run and put the younger birds in the main coop/run this weekend, but we're concerned about any potential carnage that may result. The roo has been crowing really early and I want to start putting him in at night to maintain peace with the neighbors. Any suggestions on a sucessful transfer?
Placing the newbies on the roosts with the established birds after dark and everyone has gone to bed seems to work well for us. We have a ladder type roost and place the new birds on the second roost. Placing them on the top roost can cause pecking order problems over the favorite roost (or at least it did for us). When they wake up the next morning they have forgotten who wasn't in the coop the day before.
I say just go for it! With that ratio of newbies to oldies, the oldies are just going to get worn out trying to chase them down. Have they been next to each other for at least a couple of weeks? Get a helper, and try mixing them, and if it doesn't work out have a plan to get them separated out again (I have found this rather easy to do). If you try the "at night" method, just make sure you are out there bright and early the first morning so no carnage takes place. If it is only pecking, no blood, you should be good. Have at least one extra feeder and waterer available.
