Merging flock - Brooding Advice

[LaceFarms]

I have a flock of 13 laying hens. I want to add another 15 to the flock. I was thinking of putting in a brood area inside the laying house where the older hens can see them, smell them, and get used to them without being able to get at them. Then when they are 3 weeks old or so, remove the barrier and see what happens. Has anybody tried something like this or have a better suggestion. We do have 1 clucky hen, but 15 is way to much for her.

 

[Camelot Farms]

I think that you have a great plan. The other thing that I have done is instead of merging new birds with old birds....I merge the old birds with the new birds.

So if I have 10 old birds and I bring home 3 new birds, I add the old birds one at a time to the new birds so that they dont get as aggressive.

Did I say that in a way that makes sense? lol

 

[newchicksnducks]

Three weeks old will probably be a little young to merge group. If they were only 3 weeks apart in age that might be doable, but since you're adding babies to adults, you should probably wait till the babies are closer in size, probably 10 weeks or so...hopefully someone with actual experience in this will answer you soon. I integrated my little flocks twice last year. The first group was 5 weeks older than the second, and the 3rd group was 3 weeks younger than the second. I waited till the youngest group was almost the size of the middle group before adding. It does help when you add a group instead of one or two. The groups become their own mini flocks living together in the coop until they reach adulthood, when they all seem to blend much better. Good luck!

I also had made a brooder type area in the coop to put the younger chicks out when they were about 3 weeks old, but they were kept separated from the older girls till they were bigger in size. They could see each other, but not attack. I had one or two older girls who would nestle down next to the chicken wire divider and just watch the babies

 

[LaceFarms]

Well, now for the update. The old hens kind of sat by the fence looking at them. and the chicks would look at the hens when they were fed old buns. it was quite interesting to see them go back and forth looking at each other.

Long story short, I just took down the fence separating them last weekend. At 6 weeks old they were about half the size of the big ladies, but there was virtually no pecking. Flocks successfully merged. I recommend doing it this way if you have a big enough space in your coop. I actually had 20 chicks (raising 6 for a friend) and it was getting crowded in the small brooder area i set up.

Good luck to all who try.
Squid

 

[babsbag]

I have 2 hens with broods living in cages in my coop. I let the hens out the other day for a stretch and I thought their old flock mates were going to kill them. These birds were living together before they went broody and they have been in cages in the coop since their eggs hatched. They seem them everyday and night and they still hate them. I can't even imagine what they will do to the chicks when I let them out. I was hoping this weekend to give it a go with the chicks that are almost 8 weeks, but now I am not sure.

You are very fortunate that it worked for you. You must have nice birds.