Merging young flock with old

[DAFox]

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I had the same thing except it was a single mature Barred Rock. Keep them separated until the chicks are almost her size. My Barred Rock terrorized the chicks. It was horrible. The one with the gash should be separated from the others because they'll probably pick until the chick dies.
Dale-Ann

 

[Sarah and Beth]

Thank you. That is exactly what we are doing. Chicks back in the garage for two more months and the injured one by herself in the travel cage until the wound heals. I appreciate the advice.

 

[g&a thomas]

we are kind of new to this side of things but this is what worked for us. Last year we had four chickens and we handled them lots and lots, so of course they are all very sweet and want attention. This year we got heritage breeds some for meat and some for the flock. We introduced the 7 hens (3 BR, 3 SS, 1 RIR) somewhere between 10 and 12 weeks of age. We had a separate coop for them inside the yard that we herded them into at night and shut the door for the first week and after that we left the door open so they could come and go as they wished at night. Over the next two weeks all of them were roosting with the other girls. There really wasn't much fighting except from the youngsters trying to establish their position. The older hens really only pecked at them on the roost at night when jostling for position.

Oh, with the food we had the starter food in their coop and regular food in the main yard. both ate from both. we have a friend that is a biologist that free ranges their chickens and told us that every year when they introduce their new chickens they do not worry about the feed swap out. we still put out starter every now and then as a treat and all the chickens go for it.

glen

 

[Sarah and Beth]

Thank you for sharing. I'm glad I can ask questions and get advice from others who've been there/done that!

 

[packmomma]

I had mine next to the others for a few weeks but when I mixed mine I had one bully. She picked and pecked at them on purpose. Now that I've made her dinner the flock is MUCH happier and I only have an occasional issue if the chicks are in the older chickens dust bath area. It is always the RIR that was bullying with the one that I culled. Tag team they seemed to be. The other girls dont seem to care at all.

 

[Katydid2011]

Recently, I removed the barrier separating a group of three 20-week old Buff Orpingtons from twelve 20-week old birds of varying breeds. I did everything right. I kept them separated for weeks inside a new coop, where they could see each other and interact without causing harm. I provided ample places to hide, provided multiple feed and water stations, avoided any semblance of over-crowding, and integrated them after night fall when they were sleeping.

I was up before the sun, watching to see what would happen and it was awful. Those two groups who had peacefully co-existed in the same coop, separated by hardware cloth, woke up and all hell broke loose. It was the three Orpingtons that attacked the group of twelve and they did so indiscriminately. Oddly enough, considering both groups are of the same age and size, none of the twelve challenged the Orpingtons. The twelve were uniformly terrified. I watched to see if things would settle down but had to step in when the three Orpingtons cornered a Wyandotte, one grabbing the left wing, the other the right, and the other the tail, and began pulling her apart. It was barbaric. They hadn't specifically targeted her. She just happened to be the one in the huddle of frightened pullets that couldn't get away. I have absolutely no doubt that they would have killed her then moved on to the next one.

I quickly got the girls back on different sides of the fence, waited another week, then tried it again. The aggression was once again extreme, immediate and indiscriminate. The Orpingtons are gorgeous birds and the essence of sweetness when they're alone together or with the mature hens but I've come to realize they will never be able to integrate with their peers. I'm disappointed but that's the way it goes. I've had many groups blend easily but it's always stressful for everyone, bird and human.

 

[Katydid2011]

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[tadyergey]

Thia ia great thread. I have 7 10-week old white leghorn pullets that I just added a mix of 6 7-week old reds and black australorps. So far so good. a little "get out of my way" pecks but no major dust ups over the past 8 days My question... the little ones are scurrying around timidly, will they come into their own as they get a bit bigger?

 

[megolson]

How about working ducks into the mix? I have seven golden sex-linked hens, one-month-old, and three little Khaki Campbell ducklings, two weeks old, that I've kept in separate brooders while the ducks bulked up, but now the duckies are getting huge and I want them in the larger brooder with more room and access to an outdoor area (covered in). Should I wait or give it a try?
Then I'll be back for more advice when everyone is bigger and we need to move them into the main yard with the three remaining old girls. Interestingly, that trio was a quartet until the big RIR hen died a month ago, and it had been a very uneasy, pecky coop. Prior to Big Red's reign, we had six, and it was pretty peaceful, then lost two in a racoon raid. Since Big Red died the remaining three are like Zen-hens, fat and happy and laying well. Hopefully the Zen-hens will welcome the new girls, who are very sweet tempered, with no pecking or pushing around at all.

 

[jbrown_14105]

Greetings List,
I have 4 young hens 6-8 weeks out of isolation and I have moved their "pen" into the chicken house for the overnight.
They are inside the pen with food & water, and the girls have come home to roost at night, they (the older hens "the girls") all roosted at the far end of the coop, away from the cage. "Hey the cage inside the coop is "strange" and not familiar"???
They know about these younger hens since they have been penned up around the free-range girls for awhile.
So how long should I leave them in the cage in the coop, and should I set up a fence in area of "free-range" for the younger hens since they are eating grass & stuff like that!
Jim Brown
Lockport NY area