Introducing large number of new hens and roos

[Kimberlyhogan6697]

Hi all, I have 5 adult hens and 19 3-month old pullers mixed with four, possibly 5 roos. How do I introduce them to the older 5 hens?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

We like to do what's called a "see-no-touch" method. Can you put the new birds in a pen adjacent to the older birds for a week or two so they can see, hear and smell each other without contact? Then just open a gate or something between the two so they can actually mingle, and may not even notice the difference? That's how we do ours and never have a problem or any issues.

 

[Kimberlyhogan6697]

Our original girls free range and we have a run, 10’X20’, for the new flock. The coop areas are 2- 6’X8’ poultry pens that share a center so they can see each other all day and sleep feet apart.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

So the two areas share a central "wall," or fence, through which they can see each other? This sounds ideal, especially if you can feed both groups side by side occasionally. For example, if you toss scratch, BOSS, and worms out every afternoon along both sides of the fence. This assures both groups an opportunity to see each other up close and to feed together without bickering. It's a way for them to practice good neighboring. After a couple of weeks, open things up and let them be one big group. Should be peaceful.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

So you have 24 birds and a total of (6x8x2= 96 sq ft) coops and 200 sq foot pen. That sounds just right for that number of hens (96 ÷ 4 = 24) but does not give you room to add more birds. Rule of thumb for adequate space is 4 sq ft in the coop per bird, and 10 sq ft per bird in the run, or pen. Overcrowding can lead to behavioral issues like bullying, feather picking and, at the extreme, cannibalization. Sounds like you have a good set up!

 

[Kimberlyhogan6697]

So the two areas share a central "wall," or fence, through which they can see each other? This sounds ideal, especially if you can feed both groups side by side occasionally. For example, if you toss scratch, BOSS, and worms out every afternoon along both sides of the fence. This assures both groups an opportunity to see each other up close and to feed together without bickering. It's a way for them to practice good neighboring. After a couple of weeks, open things up and let them be one big group. Should be peaceful.

Thanks, that's exactly what I've been doing. We had one rooster “escape” and our Head Hen, Dotty, is the only o e that seemed to confront him. I'll get the nerve up to open the pen soon

 

[Kimberlyhogan6697]

Just a few picks so you can see them

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Nice! I put my chicks in the outside brooder at about three weeks, and at eight weeks we open the linking gate. The only reason I wait that long is that I want the chicks to be almost as big as the chickens on account of my cats. It probably isn't necessary, they don't seem interested in them, but ... they just seem safer to me in the little pen. I've had big hens get in with the babies accidentally as early as five weeks, and there never seems to be a problem. But ... ... I donno, it's just the way we've always done it. Traditiooooon! (Song from the musical Fiddler on the Roof, lol)

 

[Kimberlyhogan6697]

Ya, our Head Hen got in with babies and just wanted their food and pecked them away so we removed her