Merging two flocks - looking for tips

[LR Gamefarm]

if the smaller one's are banty's then they will be able to hold there own in a fight i have banty's and standard's free range together during the day the hens probably wont do much damage to one another but the rooster's will probably fight until they determine who's the boss espacially with your rooster's they are a not so fighty breed if my roo's got at one another they'd probably kill each other but that's just because i raise game chickens and oeg's

 

[Mac14]

Cool thread, I'm following!

 

[walbarbsa]

I have two yards separated by a fence. When I got tired of feeding and watering two groups of chickens, I removed the chicken wire between the two groups. I did this at night....

For several days, they still stayed in their own side; I put the food near the junction of the two areas....there were two + roosters. You know what, they worked it out. When one rooster got huffy, the other rooster just went back to his "side"....now, after six months or so....they all get along. The roosters respect each other's space and everyone's happy.

 

[Pozees]

I have two yards separated by a fence. When I got tired of feeding and watering two groups of chickens, I removed the chicken wire between the two groups. I did this at night....

For several days, they still stayed in their own side; I put the food near the junction of the two areas....there were two + roosters. You know what, they worked it out. When one rooster got huffy, the other rooster just went back to his "side"....now, after six months or so....they all get along. The roosters respect each other's space and everyone's happy.

This sounds very effective. I assume you still have both coops, do you plan to replace them with one larger one?

 

[Inthesky]

I have just added one new hen to my existing three and had a bit of a shock as the new hen was a nasty bully drawing blood. The guy at the store said spray them all with a vinegar solution and put them together, I did this! Disaster! I kept them separated but they slept together on night one. Then I separated them again but mixed them for a 'supervised play date'. I spent two hours supervising with a child's water blaster and any time there was any 'nonsense' I gave a blast! I know it sounds bonkers! However after this two hours they have all got on like a house on fire. I have not witnessed any further aggression from anybody.

I am really pleased.

 

[aoxa]

I have just added one new hen to my existing three and had a bit of a shock as the new hen was a nasty bully drawing blood.  The guy at the store said spray them all with a vinegar solution and put them together, I did this!  Disaster!  I kept them separated but they slept together on night one.  Then I separated them again but mixed them for a 'supervised play date'.  I spent two hours supervising with a child's water blaster and any time there was any 'nonsense' I gave a blast!  I know it sounds bonkers!  However after this two hours they have all got on like a house on fire.  I have not witnessed any further aggression from anybody.

  I am really pleased.  

 

[furbabymum]

I think it helps that my chicks are brooded in the coop. So they get used to each other from day 1. I just integrated a ton of different ages/breeds and it's gone really well. No issues at all. I'm sure it's because they saw each other every day through the fence anyway.

 

[Nathan Sampson]

I guess I was just lucky when my last 2 flocks merged together. I had a hard time keeping buster out of my brooder with the meat chicks lol. I lost track of him one day and then looked in there he was just in there chilling with all them. After they left the brooder I herded them into the pen with all the rest of them and free ranged them everyday. No problems at all.

 

[Crazy Wife]

I have a group of 22 hens and 2 roosters. I also have a new group of 25 baby girls that are now 15 weeks old. I started having "playdates" when the babies were about 11 weeks old. I didn't know if this was a good idea, but it worked out great in the end. The "playdates" started out just a few minutes and worked up to a couple of hours. I put them all together full time last week with really no problems at all. There will always be a few squabbles as the pecking order is established, but it just takes about a week for them to work it out.

Also, if you have a head rooster visit the younger ones in a controlled area, that rooster will take them on as his own. Carl, my 2-year old barred rock is a great rooster and I wanted him to be their guy instead of Roger, the Aracauna, who doesn't seem to know what he is doing.

Good luck!

 

[MarinR]

Update: Both flocks are living peacefully together in the big coop! I continued to let them free range for a few hours before bed every day for another week or so and then one night, I just closed the tractor coop. They were definitely confused, and ran around the thing in circles for a while looking for a way in, but a couple of them actually went to the big coop on their own. The rest I carried over. I locked the run but left the coop open so they could work it out. When I went out an hour or so later, they were all settled in. I had to laugh because my top hen decided to corner them all on the floor for the night, to assert herself I guess. But no one was hurt and the next night night, they all slept together on our new and improved roost (the poop board thread on this site is worth following too)! That was over a week ago and all is well today. My older rooster is loving his new little buff cochin lady... poor little girl. And the little rooster has learned to keep to himself.... for now.

Thanks for highlighting this thread on this fb. It's been fun reading through all the responses!