- Aug 29, 2010
- 2
- 0
- 7
Hi All,
New to forum, but have kept hens for five years. Started with four, two Buff Orps and two Barred Rocks but down to one of each this spring, so added 13 new chicks this spring. The little girls are almost full size, but I have kept them apart from the older hens in their own fenced area. For about a week now I have gate open so they could all wander back and forth. So far, any encounters by the old girls have resulted in them pecking the new ones.
I really want to get them in the same area and coop. The coop where the old girls are staying in huge and can fit them all in. I was thinking I would get all the new girls in the same area and let them figure it all out.
Do you think they will know to follow the old girl into the new coop or will they try and find a way back to old? Even if I get them all in big coop and there is a lot of noise going on, how long should I sit back and let them figure it out?
We did have a pecking incident with the old girls last year, not sure what started it, but time I found out what was going on, one of the girls was pretty bloody. Don't want to go through that again.
Thanks!
The Lynns
New to forum, but have kept hens for five years. Started with four, two Buff Orps and two Barred Rocks but down to one of each this spring, so added 13 new chicks this spring. The little girls are almost full size, but I have kept them apart from the older hens in their own fenced area. For about a week now I have gate open so they could all wander back and forth. So far, any encounters by the old girls have resulted in them pecking the new ones.
I really want to get them in the same area and coop. The coop where the old girls are staying in huge and can fit them all in. I was thinking I would get all the new girls in the same area and let them figure it all out.
Do you think they will know to follow the old girl into the new coop or will they try and find a way back to old? Even if I get them all in big coop and there is a lot of noise going on, how long should I sit back and let them figure it out?
We did have a pecking incident with the old girls last year, not sure what started it, but time I found out what was going on, one of the girls was pretty bloody. Don't want to go through that again.
Thanks!
The Lynns