It seems I have 3 seperate flocks in one?!?

[Crs1]

my flock consists of a group of 30 hens with one rooster, a group of 17 pullets with one rooster, I had a broody before rooster so I bought three eggs and now a group of 3 that are 9weeks old and I think one rooster. And I have a broody that just hatched 2.
The hens and pullets mingle and the big rooster keeps the rooster with the pullets at bay but when I put them up at night they both go to there own coops
The 9 week olds went to the coop of momma and the new ones are in a coop with mom.
I’m running out of space. My husband got sick and we haven’t been able to cull some of the older ones which will be quite a few. So I guess until that happens I should be patient. I guess I needed to just write it down to people who would understand
Thank you for listening
Connie

 

[Spartan22]

My flock comprise also of different ages of birds, there’s 4 groups of hatches of broody hens ages 6-12 wks and layers ages 1-4 yrs old and they all group on their own age in the coop at night and on daytime seems to be on opposite sides of the runs but eat and drink together without any issues since they have multiple feeders and waterers.

 

[RodNTN]

I have a flock of 12 that stick together (they are the oldest birds).
A group of 4 bantams that stick together.
A group of 12 two year olds that stick together.
And a group or 14 four month olds that stick together

 

[Shadrach]

I have a flock of 12 that stick together (they are the oldest birds).
A group of 4 bantams that stick together.
A group of 12 two year olds that stick together.
And a group or 14 four month olds that stick together

Does each group have its own coop? If not, do the groups stick together when in the coop assuming you have a coop?
The 12 two year olds, are they the same breed?
The 14 month, are they the same breed?

Sorry for all the questions. It's one of my areas of interest.

 

[Shadrach]

My flock comprise also of different ages of birds, there’s 4 groups of hatches of broody hens ages 6-12 wks and layers ages 1-4 yrs old and they all group on their own age in the coop at night and on daytime seems to be on opposite sides of the runs but eat and drink together without any issues since they have multiple feeders and waterers.

Are they all the same breed?

 

[Ridgerunner]

my flock consists of a group of 30 hens with one rooster, a group of 17 pullets with one rooster, I had a broody before rooster so I bought three eggs and now a group of 3 that are 9weeks old and I think one rooster. And I have a broody that just hatched 2.
The hens and pullets mingle and the big rooster keeps the rooster with the pullets at bay but when I put them up at night they both go to there own coops
The 9 week olds went to the coop of momma and the new ones are in a coop with mom.
I’m running out of space. My husband got sick and we haven’t been able to cull some of the older ones which will be quite a few. So I guess until that happens I should be patient. I guess I needed to just write it down to people who would understand
Thank you for listening
Connie

Yeah, writing it down can sometimes be therapeutic. We do that a lot over on the sister gardening forum. It's a small friendly group that has mostly known each other for years. When life smacks someone between the eyeballs we can post about it and get some understanding, not criticism. This forum is usually not that bad about it either but there are a lot more people. As far as I am concerned post as much as you wish.

I don't see anything about your flocks that is broken, it all sounds pretty normal. When they all mature and you remove several of the older ones the flock dynamics will change. I'm not sure how but they will. Just wishing the best for your husband.

 

[centrarchid]

my flock consists of a group of 30 hens with one rooster, a group of 17 pullets with one rooster, I had a broody before rooster so I bought three eggs and now a group of 3 that are 9weeks old and I think one rooster. And I have a broody that just hatched 2.
The hens and pullets mingle and the big rooster keeps the rooster with the pullets at bay but when I put them up at night they both go to there own coops
The 9 week olds went to the coop of momma and the new ones are in a coop with mom.
I’m running out of space. My husband got sick and we haven’t been able to cull some of the older ones which will be quite a few. So I guess until that happens I should be patient. I guess I needed to just write it down to people who would understand
Thank you for listening
Connie

When I have a larger flock that can be broken down into groups that assort by age or who their mother is, the identifiable units are subflocks. The key difference when truely having multiple flocks and subflocks is territories being obvious or home ranges that do not overlap. Their times when it can be wise to promote assorting as it can allow easier management and tracking of groups within a greater flock. Roosting is of particular concern here although can also be an issue.

 

[BackAcre]

I am glad to read this, since little flock does the same! My two oldest hens stick together, my three 'teenage' hens do, and the two 'babies'. It seems to be like family groups to me. The two oldest hens were both individuals and different breeds (Barred Rock and Light sussex) that came from other flocks but since they each were alone putting them together went quite swimmingly. The teenage group was raised together in my bathtub brooder and they are comprised of different ages and breeds - a 3 month ameraucana rooster, a 2.5 month buff orphington rooster, and a 2 month orphington hen, but they seem to be a family too. The two littlest, 2 month old americanas, came together as replacement friends for my buff orphington hen since I have homes lined up for the two roosters and I thought she might want some birds her own size, but she sticks with her family and they stick with each other mostly. I am glad to know this is normal and they will reconfigure themselves if I take some of the players out of the game! Thank you for posting this!

 

[RodNTN]

Does each group have its own coop? If not, do the groups stick together when in the coop assuming you have a coop?
The 12 two year olds, are they the same breed?
The 14 month, are they the same breed?

Sorry for all the questions. It's one of my areas of interest.

Oh, don't apologize! I enjoy answering questions!

Does each group have its own coop?
No, we have one large coop (more like a barn) and they all go in when evening rolls around. And they all eat and drink together.

If not, do the groups stick together when in the coop assuming you have a coop?
No, they do not stick together once in the coop. They all just hang out with whoever.

The 12 two year olds, are they the same breed?
No, there are Leghorns, Easter Eggers, Black Australorps, and Sex Links.

The 14 month, are they the same breed?
They are only 4 months. But I do have 14 in that group. They are all mixed (I hatched them myself).

The youngest group of chickens stick the closest, the others will typically stay with his or her group but will join another group quite often.
They have the pecking order worked out so we rarely have any fights.

 

[Shadrach]

Connie[/QUOTE]

my flock consists of a group of 30 hens with one rooster, a group of 17 pullets with one rooster, I had a broody before rooster so I bought three eggs and now a group of 3 that are 9weeks old and I think one rooster. And I have a broody that just hatched 2.
The hens and pullets mingle and the big rooster keeps the rooster with the pullets at bay but when I put them up at night they both go to there own coops
The 9 week olds went to the coop of momma and the new ones are in a coop with mom.
I’m running out of space. My husband got sick and we haven’t been able to cull some of the older ones which will be quite a few. So I guess until that happens I should be patient. I guess I needed to just write it down to people who would understand
Thank you for listening
Connie

Sorry to hear about your troubles Crs1.
I know what its like trying to deal with animal problems on your own.
I live on my own halfway up a mountain looking after the animals on a smallholding for some people. I don't speak the language here very well and when things go wrong; well, I just have to cope.
When I first got here everything seemed to go wrong. I was burying a chicken a month on average. In time and with patience as you write, things will get better.