Merging 2 sets of hens into one pen

[QChickieMama]

I have 2 chicken tractors in my yard; one has a rooster and 4 hens, and the other had 4 hens. The 4 hens dropped down to just 2 hens, so I added 3 younger hens to get them out of a falling-apart pen with no grass access. This tractor holds 5 birds just beautifully.

However, these 2 sets of hens are NOT having it. They're not figuring out the pecking order. The 2 older barred rock ones are simply not allowing the other 3 to come down to the grass. This has been going on for weeks. I free-range them, and they all eventually come out to play and go in at night.

Is there something else I can do to help these gals get along? Feels like waiting is all I can do. Thoughts?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

How old is the youngers? How much space do they have? Do they have enough space to get away from each other and have more than one waterer and feeder to be able to eat and drink away from each other?

Space could be an issue here as well as age. Depending how everything is and if the youngers are at least four months old, I'm thinking the best bet would be to start over. To do this, separate them for at least three days (longer would be better, two weeks would be best). For this, it might be best to remove the two olders from the tractor to reset everything because they are the smallest amount, thus easier to house elsewhere for a few days, plus it'd give the youngers time to figure out the tractor, and maybe give you a chance to see if there's more going on (like them being scared of outside, sounds, or even leaves falling).

Once they've been separated long enough to forget about each other (so when they've been separated, you keep them where they can't see each other), you can try again. I have found the best way to introduce new birds is at night. After it's pitch black out and everyone has roosted, you bring in the new birds (preferably with no light, but using a low red light is fine), and set them on the perches. Sneak out and don't shine any lights in their coop. Hopefully, come morning, they'll wake up and be less likely to realize there was a change.

This method or not, there still should be a two week adjustment period. This is when they settle the pecking order. For this method, I've seen peace as little to the first day to all good within the first week with maybe a few extra growls and puffing after that. Even if things seem instantly smooth, the two week period is an adjustment, so you'll want to give them time.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think I would let everyone one out. If you have a good rooster he just might settle it. It also might be that they split up differently into the two coops.

 

[QChickieMama]

How old is the youngers? How much space do they have? Do they have enough space to get away from each other and have more than one waterer and feeder to be able to eat and drink away from each other?

Space could be an issue here as well as age. Depending how everything is and if the youngers are at least four months old, I'm thinking the best bet would be to start over. To do this, separate them for at least three days (longer would be better, two weeks would be best). For this, it might be best to remove the two olders from the tractor to reset everything because they are the smallest amount, thus easier to house elsewhere for a few days, plus it'd give the youngers time to figure out the tractor, and maybe give you a chance to see if there's more going on (like them being scared of outside, sounds, or even leaves falling).

Once they've been separated long enough to forget about each other (so when they've been separated, you keep them where they can't see each other), you can try again. I have found the best way to introduce new birds is at night. After it's pitch black out and everyone has roosted, you bring in the new birds (preferably with no light, but using a low red light is fine), and set them on the perches. Sneak out and don't shine any lights in their coop. Hopefully, come morning, they'll wake up and be less likely to realize there was a change.

This method or not, there still should be a two week adjustment period. This is when they settle the pecking order. For this method, I've seen peace as little to the first day to all good within the first week with maybe a few extra growls and puffing after that. Even if things seem instantly smooth, the two week period is an adjustment, so you'll want to give them time.

The Youngers are 8 months old. Definitely a flightier breed--from TSC, so not a pure breed. They came out of a pen just a few paces away from this tractor, and they've been free-ranging together since I got them this past spring. They share a good rooster.

A chicken tractor holds 5 chickens; it's 4'x7' with one nest box, one feed box and a ledge for the waterer. They need to make friends to make this space work for them.

I could put the 3 Youngers into my other flock, but that rooster already has 10 girls, and this rooster has 9.

I don't have another large pen for these 2 sets to work it out. They've just agreed to live separate lives (3 up on the ledge, 2 on the grass).

 

[QChickieMama]

I think I would let everyone one out. If you have a good rooster he just might settle it. It also might be that they split up differently into the two coops.

Yes, I was hoping the rooster would help them! I think when they're free-ranging, we have enough acreage for them that they don't squabble. Only squabbling inside the tractor when they're trying to lay at the same time.

One younger hen tried to roost in the rooster's (rooster plus 4 hens) tractor the other night, but there's no extra space there. One of THOSE hens is already sleeping in the nest box --drives me crazy--perhaps bc the roosting bar feels full. Four feet of a bar means they get to snuggle and keep warm, which they've been doing successfully for years...

 

[Mrs. K]

Could you post pictures, of all your coops, and counts of all your birds.

 

[Mrs. K]

And runs.