introducing new hens and new coops..

[vtgirls]

We have a current flock of 5 hens, 1 roo. This coming spring we have on order 5 more bantams and 10 more layers. I know there are different opinions about quarentine and such but am wondering at what age folks have found bext to add a bunch (15) new girls to a small flock.
Also, just to make it a bit more challenging, I am planning to move my little flock out of the run and coop they have been in from the start. I am thinking I should relocate the existing hens for awhile before introducing the pullets. The new coop is two levels, the bottom being an enclosed run underneath the "living" quarters and nest boxes. Should I keep them confined to the new coop for a certian amount of time before I let them out to range? The old coop set up is remaining in place to be used for other things so I am concerned they will try to go there instead of the new one. Since one of my dogs is a chicken muncher it is ESSENTIAL that my ladies come a running when its time to go back into the run so I can lock them up (they are so good now I just have to call and they come running and strut straight into the run). Any opinions?

 

[gryeyes]

If you are getting started poultry, not chicks, then I would suggest timing the move to the new coop with the end of quarantine of the new birds; move everybody at once.

Each location change and/or addition of new chicken(s) causes re-ordering of seniority and pecking order. That way it's new to everybody and nobody already has "dubs" on the coop status first. Adding new birds after the first flock has owned the coop just extends the ..... Conflict.

If you are getting chicks, they will have to grow out somewhere, first, then be integrated into the flock when they are closer to the other birds' size, so give the original flock the new coop, grow out the chicks in the cleaned older coop, then join them. They should be about 12 to 16 weeks old by then.

Just my suggestion.