Introducing older hens to a younger established flock

[Debgar5308]

I need some help y'all. I'm new at this and just recently started a backyard flock. I have 13 chickens, mixed breeds who are doing fine. They have a coop that is 8x10 with an attached 9x30 ft enclosd run. They all hatched at the same time, and are around 9-10 weeks old. They are mostly fully feathered and doing well. A family member needs me to take 4 adult hens that are a year and a half old and are laying. I don't know the best way to incorporate these older girls into the flock peacefully... Please any advice would be appreciated! Thank y'all!

 

[Tamdog]

I would guess you would do what you do if the opposite were true (introducing young hens to an older flock) Put them in a place where they can see each other but not be together for a week or more. Then allow them to be together- The luck of it all is that you have many more young hens - so the odds are in their favor. Other than that when you do put them together plan on being a day when you can watch them, and try to put them together in the largest possible place so they can all run around with out feeling like they are cramped- perhaps offer some places where someone can hide if the pecking gets hateful. ( I use a old bale of wire and a few boards here and there. The day you put them together have some treats you can toss about all over the place to keep them sorta occupied and busy. I always use to put my hens on the roost together at night so they would wake up and be together. They have short memories and think maybe they have always slept together, - But this year I put them together during the day and they were fine. Good luck