Introducing young chicks into older flock.

[Renigeid]

Any suggestions here? The older flock (11 hens & 1 rooster) are 19 weeks old. The younger flock (11 hens & 1 rooster) are six weeks old. At the present time I have them in adjoining runs . Really need to get them intergrated so they can all be in the same house at night since the weather here now has gotten down to freezing. The young ones now are in an insulated dog igloo at night. Would be a lot less trouble if they were intergrated.

I have been letting the older hens into the younger flock's run a little at a time, supervised, but have been keeping Jo Jo the rooster seperate. Seems no problems with the adult hens except when the younger ones get too courious. A little afraid to let Jo Jo mingle.

Thanks for any and all help here.

Jim

 

[smith2]

I can't say for sure because I have had good luck and bad luck with trying to mix flocks. If the older ones are tame and gentle by nature, you might go ahead and try to mix them. Hens that much younger usually just become submissive if the older hens don't attack them. Since you have one older roo and one younger roo, I doubt they would fight. The younger roo's will just usually become submissive and not bother the "alpha" roos. My older hens don't seem to be threatened by chicks that are a whole lot younger than they are, but if they are closer in age and I try to mix them, they fight. I think you are wise to try and integrate them through the fence first. Mine seem to do better that way as well. Good luck.

 

[BaronRenfrew]

At 6 weeks the little ones are still significantly smaller and won't compete at the food dish or in a fight for pecking order.

i'd give it another month before mixing them. If the birds have shelter (draft free) they can stay out a while longer in the dog house. If you have to mix them then they will adjust. It's a question of space, chickens have a sense of personal space, the more the better. If your shed is big than no problem.

 

[Renigeid]

Thanks folks.

My house is 12' x 16' and the two runs combined are 16' x 30'. So, you folk's think it may be ok to go ahead huh? Jim