Keeping multiple flocks

[Sparrowsong98]

I had three silver laced polish I tried to introduce to my big flock last year. Things went really bad, and one was killed by my flock. So they live in a side run I have inside a doghouse that I converted into a quarantine coop a while ago. It is a nice little space for two hens, it is up off the ground a foot, and has a flap door and a few perches inside. They have a rabbit nest box to lay in. My question is, is keeping them seperate wise? I am still trying to introduce them, but after three months, I still do supervised free range with them and the other birds and they are frequently pecked at. They create enough body heat to oeep each other warm, and are happy if they can go outside once a day for an hour or so. I really do not want to sell them, but all my normal methods and things suggested just for polish have gotten me nowhere.

 

[B&B FarmsSc]

You might try putting the two coops side by side.....directly touching for a month or so to let them acclimate...ive had luck that way...as well as failure...might help

 

[Sparrowsong98]

You might try putting the two coops side by side.....directly touching for a month or so to let them acclimate...ive had luck that way...as well as failure...might help

When we made the coop, we had a 14x28 foot area outside, which was divided in half. One half is open, the other half is two 7x7 pens. The left one ks set up as a quarantine pen, and the other one is an introduction pen. My babies (8 month old free-loader babies) live in the intro side. They are right along the run, and on nice days they free-range in the yard with the main flock with supervision, so they are pretty close. I am very hesitant to put them right in the main run because there is two of them and 24 vicious birds who openly seek to anialate them. The free-ranging is different because they have more space to run, so socializing is more a choice than when they are packed in a coop with them, and everyone seems to have a better temper on the other side of the chicken wire.

 

[B&B FarmsSc]

Its amazing what some half inch galvanized wire can do...lol

 

[aart]

When we made the coop, we had a 14x28 foot area outside, which was divided in half. One half is open, the other half is two 7x7 pens. The left one ks set up as a quarantine pen, and the other one is an introduction pen. My babies (8 month old free-loader babies) live in the intro side. They are right along the run, and on nice days they free-range in the yard with the main flock with supervision, so they are pretty close. I am very hesitant to put them right in the main run because there is two of them and 24 vicious birds who openly seek to anialate them. The free-ranging is different because they have more space to run, so socializing is more a choice than when they are packed in a coop with them, and everyone seems to have a better temper on the other side of the chicken wire.

A few things stand out here...might just be vocabulary.
True 'quarantine' needs a coop and run far away(100-300') from main flock,
maybe 'isolation' or 'introduction' would be a more accurate term.

24 birds in what size 'coop'(enclosed/weatherproof and secure night time housing)??

14x14 main run for 24 birds is kinda crowded already, depending on what it looks like-is it bare open space or are there things for diversion and 'hiding'..... like 2x2's and/or branches for roosts. Logs, stumps, pallets leaned against wall or up on concrete blocks, grazing frames, old table/chairs/benches.

Polish can be hard to integrate due to their often limited eyesight from the large topknots they might sport. You might also just have some rogue 'bad birds' in your main flock, removing the most aggressive ones, even temporarily, can turn the tide of the pecking order.

I'm guessing crowding might be the biggest part of your problem. Every time you separate the birds it can start the integration process all over again.

Pics of your set ups might offer some clues to solutions.

 

[Sparrowsong98]

A few things stand out here...might just be vocabulary.
True 'quarantine' needs a coop and run far away(100-300') from main flock,
maybe 'isolation' or 'introduction' would be a more accurate term.

24 birds in what size 'coop'(enclosed/weatherproof and secure night time housing)??

14x14 main run for 24 birds is kinda crowded already, depending on what it looks like-is it bare open space or are there things for diversion and 'hiding'..... like 2x2's and/or branches for roosts. Logs, stumps, pallets leaned against wall or up on concrete blocks, grazing frames, old table/chairs/benches.

Polish can be hard to integrate due to their often limited eyesight from the large topknots they might sport. You might also just have some rogue 'bad birds' in your main flock, removing the most aggressive ones, even temporarily, can turn the tide of the pecking order.

I'm guessing crowding might be the biggest part of your problem. Every time you separate the birds it can start the integration process all over again.

Pics of your set ups might offer some clues to solutions.

My coop is 7x7, and is secure, and weatherproof. The run is just open space, but we do not worry much about run size because they have the option to free-range, even when it is cold. We also have six we are planning to cull due to age and agression so that will help with space. There are certain members of my flock that are meaner, and the meanest 4 are on the "chopping block" because multiple attempts to fix their problems did not help. Keep in mind that if they were younger, I would look for a less harsh solution, but my meanest girls are 4 years + and do not lay, so my family has decided that this is the best solution. I do tape up the feathers on my babies heads when I am free-ranging them so that helps with visibilty, and they haver smaller crests as well. I feel like once we get rid of the bad egg birds, introduction will be easier, but I am fairly certain that it is still pretty close to impossible. My main question right now is: is it ok for two of them to live seperately?

 

[aart]

We also have six we are planning to cull due to age and agression so that will help with space.

Still tight space in coop.
Don't feel bad about culling, I make a lot of stew every year...
....got to, a crowded coop in winter here is ugly.

 

[Sparrowsong98]

Still tight space in coop.
Don't feel bad about culling, I make a lot of stew every year...
....got to, a crowded coop in winter here is ugly.

These hens are free-loading, nasty, broody pluckers, and I will gladly dispose of them. No hard feelings here, trust me. If they were younger, I would feel bad only because I would be loosing some of my egg force, but not these girls. They can go

 

[aart]

These hens are free-loading, nasty, broody pluckers, and I will gladly dispose of them. No hard feelings here, trust me. If they were younger, I would feel bad only because I would be loosing some of my egg force, but not these girls. They can go

They could be nasty due to space constraints.....what is your climate/location?

 

[Sparrowsong98]

They could be nasty due to space constraints.....what is your climate/location?

They could be nasty due to space constraints.....what is your climate/location?

I live in SW Pa, and quite honestly the climate here stinks right now. It was 40-60 degrees last week, and suddenly on tuesday the temperature jumped up to 89.