Merging two flocks - looking for tips

[BGinVA]

Great thread. I'm currently working on integrating my almost 4 week olds with my 12 week olds. So far I've just been doing "play dates" as someone called it above, a couple of hours here and there and they all go back to their own coop/brooder for bedtime. Its actually working out pretty well so far. I have 2 roosters (a Barred Rock & Black Australorp) and 2 pullets (both Barred Rocks) which are the 12 week olds, and the 4 week olds (6 of them) are a mix that are supposed to all be pullets and I have no reason to doubt any of them are so far. Funny thing is my older chicks are just really developing their own pecking order. I had to go out last night and left them out to put themselves to bed and got home around 10, went to the coop to lock it down and flicked my bic just to do a head count and the 3 Barred Rocks (1 Rooster and 2 Pullets) were on the highest roosting pole together and the BA was on the lower one all alone. Once again tonight they put themselves to bed and I looked in and it was the same sleeping arrangement, so I'm assuming that the Barred Rock roo is the top rooster being he was with the girls and on the higher roosting pole. So while the babies were out today the Black Austrolorp roo came running at them with his wings flapping like he was trying to scare them (he's a goof ball) and the barred rock stepped in between them and just stood still and gave him a look and he went on about his way. I'm hoping this means that the BR roo is accepting the babies and will protect them. Although the pullets each took a peck at them and he didn't interfere when they picked on them. I like the squirt gun idea and might just have to dig mine out of the closet. Its funny because I've been treating them like I train my dogs with a simple "ah" and if that doesn't work, sometimes I run at them like I'm another rooster (maybe that's not the best approach).

My plan right now it to continue "play dates" for about another 2 weeks, when the littlest will be 6 weeks old. Then I'm going to move my brooder cage into the run so that they are near each other 24/7 (right now my smaller coop that I call a brooder is in my garage). I will leave both coops open and let them decide where to sleep at night. I'm thinking my 6 babies will outgrow the 2' x 4' brooding coop pretty soon and be looking for more room to sleep and might one by one just decide to follow the big guys into the big coop at night. Does this sound like a workable plan? If they don't make the move on their own by 8-10 weeks I'm thinking of maybe sneaking them in at night one night and then removing the smaller coop from the run. Thoughts, ideas, suggestions?

 

[Twisted-Rooster]

Alot of good info here about introducing chickens of differ ages together, I'll be sure to use this info when I combine my other flocks...A few weeks ago I did place some new RIR (They were older) in the run next to my other chickens...after a few days I cut a hole in the fence so the chickens could roam back and forth with each other and at night they returned to their side of the fence in their section of barn and now they all share the same roost...No fights...I'm really surprise...

 

[Fabulous Chicks]

I got some very good advice on here and it has worked for me. Safety is the main concern for both of your groups. We did the look don't touch until our "babies" got about 16 weeks old. All of our chicks shared the same coop but we have an area made exclusively for the "babies" During the day they were separated by another pen (outside). Each evening we would allow them all in the common area to get treats and mingle. We did this for about 2 weeks. Now they all stay together during the day but at night the babies (which are now 19wks) still go into their sleeping quarters and the main flock take up on the roost.
Another great tip from BYC, During the day I keep the gate open to the babies area in case they feel threatened they can go into their own area, and I now keep their area inside the coop open. Amazingly the Main Group don't really go into this area. So, if the need arises the "babies" can still take solitude.

Good Luck!

 

[coolcanoechic]

I have used a squirt gun too, and it seems very effective. I gave one to my brother who was having problems with his agressive roo and he says it works wonders! We call the squirt guns our chicken behavior modifiers....

Whenever my brother's wife went into the coop to feed the chickens, the roo would come after her. She started using the squirt gun when he did it and now he does not come after her any more. Chickens really hate getting squirt with water.

 

[a123andpoof]

One thing I have found effective is to let the older hens free range with the younger ones. I have let my hens free range with chicks as young as 4 weeks. Usually they come check em out maybe give em a peck and then get bored. Some don't even bother them they are to interested in finding bugs and stuff.It is always under supervision and this is done when the chicks are in the main coop seperated from the rest of the flock. My chicks are probably 2 or so months and I will leave them to unsupervised now while they all free range. My hens just aren't interested in them. Now leaving them all together while penned I would not do but free ranging is a totally different thing. And it works well when trying to merge new hens into an already established flock.

 

[adgcountrygirl]

I would try the look but not touch thing for a bit and see when they start chilling out when they see each other. I've added I want to say maybe 2 month old chicks in with my older ones and it was okay as long as they can hold their own.

Mine were just a few days short of 2 months old when I started free ranging them with the older flock which had just turned a year old. They were all in the coop together at night, but the younger ones were protected in hutches. After less than a week of ranging together, I started noticing them going to roost without problems, so I quit separating them at night. About a week later there were a few adults that started roosting with the "younguns" and a few of the "younguns" roosting with the adults. (At first the younguns roosted together on a perch across from the adults.) By the second month they were thouroughly one flock. Now you can't tell they were ever 2 different flocks.

 

[milo1108]

^^ thats good. I do just about the same thing. I tried the look but don't touch thing with a few little ones and then with the next few I integrated I just let them free range and go from there. I think if you stress out then they catch on that.

 

[ChicknBaron]

I have two small flocks I'm working towards merging together. The older flock has 6 hens, not quite laying age (about 19 weeks right now) and one very sweet rooster, a blrw. The younger flock has one blue cochin rooster (about 10 weeks old and definitely the boss) and 4 hens, about 12-14 weeks right now. The younger group is still a little bit smaller in size, but catching up. I think they could hold their own in a squabble. I put their tractor coop in near the big coop where the bigger chickens are living. How long should I let them look but not touch? There have only been a few pecks through the chicken wire so far. They seem pretty peaceful with the divider. I am tempted to see how they would free range together. Could I do that soon? And how long before I attempt to put them together in the big coop? I was thinking a good month still, but I could be way off. I've never done this before!

I know how you feel, i had to do the same thing with mine this summer. I didnt have roosters tho so it might be a different story since you have 2 roosters. The way i didit is: i had a separate coop just for the little ones , but it was still next to the big coop, where the big chickens live, the big ones free ranged at the time but the little ones had a run of their own, so that the big ones couldn't get at them, they were still a little bit smaller than the older ones when I let them free range together but I kept a close eye on them to make sure that they didn't fight and I kept an eye on them for a few weeks in short periods of time each night for an hour or so time and after a while they merged with no big problems. The big ones pecked at the little ones every once in in awhile just to establish a pecking order but nothing too serious and before I knew it they're sleeping in same coop together and now months later they still have the same pecking order but happily freerange every day and still sleep in the same coop but they get along

 

[Lazarus718]

My existing flock of four hens is 14 weeks old and I just introduced them to two new members yesterday afternoon. I let the two new girls free range while my others were locked in the run. I kept them separate like this for 2 hours then let the whole flock out. The new brahma made herself right at home immediately and followed the other girls everywhere (she is already larger than everyone since she has a four week head start). The new cochin didn't fair as well and hid in the outskirts of the yard. It was not long until our RIR tested her and got the beak. Then our #1 & #2 took over once i shut them in the run for the night. The new girl found her way into the hen house and the ruckus subsided. I checked on them after dark and five of them were on the top roost while the new cochin was hanging solo on the bottom one. Today I didn't have any notable issues but both of the new hens stayed in the run all day while the other girls ranged. I had the door open for 8 hours today and neither one ventured out...I let them be. Put the girls back in the run before dinner and heard a few squabbles as I grilled up a couple of their relatives. I peeked into their coop window and had all 6 on the top roost....it's around 32" wide since it was built around my pop door. My guess is once they pack on another pound or two something will have to give! Good news is they are all roosting together with no major battles. So on to day three, my guess is that we'll have the order figured out in another day or two.

 

[Birdgirl99]

I put 1 month old chicks with 2 3 year old hens and 1 7 month old pullet and they are all doing nice there wasn't even a pecking order just a little don't go by me when i eat and now they are almost 3 months old and are great friends i feed them separately because the hens eat egg maker and chicks eat start and grow feed