Introducing pullets into the nesting box with one hen

[lfisher56]

Hi! I have two 13-week old pullets. I also have a 2 year old hen. The pullets and the hen are in the chicken run together during the day. At night, I put the pullets in their coop and the hen in hers. While they are still figuring out the pecking order, they seem to slowly be figuring it out. Everyone is nearly the same size now.

My question is, when can I put them in the same coop at night to sleep? How do I accomplish this? I'd really like to just have one coop to clean out and one set of feeders/waterers!

 

[chickengr]

Hi! I have two 13-week old pullets. I also have a 2 year old hen. The pullets and the hen are in the chicken run together during the day. At night, I put the pullets in their coop and the hen in hers. While they are still figuring out the pecking order, they seem to slowly be figuring it out. Everyone is nearly the same size now.

My question is, when can I put them in the same coop at night to sleep? How do I accomplish this? I'd really like to just have one coop to clean out and one set of feeders/waterers!

if they stay in the same run you can keep them in the same coop as well. just put the pullets at night when your hen will not bully them and when they wake up together in the morning there will be less (or not at all) pecking.

 

[Carson213]

We mixed 25 birds at a time with the new 25. As long as the hens don’t beat up your pullets...and if they already sociailize in the run...you don’t need a second coop. the only reason i have two coops is to do meat birds...but i have space...and you could obviously do it in one coop.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Which coop is the "final" coop - the hen's or the pullets? If you want them all in the pullets you can probably just put the hen in there at night, and lock up/remove her old home. If you want them all in the hen's, she might be a little more territorial however if they've been in the run together with few issues it should work out ok. Best have more than 1 roost available if possible, just so the birds don't have to share if they don't want to.