mixing existing flock with new

[BoonFarm]

alright so here's the story:
I originally had 9 chickens (4 roos, 5 hens). The roos will become BBQ when the time is right but want i would like to know if this is going to upset my hens? Because I have read that chickens will mourn a loss.

Also, i just got in 29 chicks. When the time is right, how to i go about mixing them. Add a few new ones at a time? all at once? Since the new flock is larger, will they pick on the existing smaller flock? I just don't want an all out brawl.

 

[adgcountrygirl]

Some chickens will mourn a loss. It depends on how close they are to the barbeque roo. I adopted 6 hens and a roo after starting flock was about 20-22 weeks old. One hen and roo that were adopted were both Barred Rocks. They were always together and when the hen, Bullwinkle was upset, I could grab the roo, Rocky and put him beside her. She would calm down immediately. When she was scared or upset, she ALWAYS ran to Rocky, even though I had two older, bigger, stronger roosters. Rocky was skittish of me, mostly because I didn't get to raise him by hand as I had the starting flock. On the day he became barbeque, I was more upset by Bullwinkle's reaction to his absence than I was by not having him around. She started getting on top of the coop and running around looking for him. She did this for a few weeks. After a few months, she finally took to another roo.
One of the roos I raised in my starting flock was a great forager. I honestly don't know when he ate, because everytime I saw him stun a grasshopper, he called the girls and one of them would come by and pick it up. I didn't actually want to give him up, but he was a perfect fit for my friend's flock, and I knew he'd be happier with more girls and no male competition. I had too many roos at the time so when S & J told me about their flock and asked about a roo, I knew he was the one. When J put the roo in the carrier, all of my hens circled around him and poked their heads in as if to tell him good-bye and that they would "miss" him. It was almost as if they knew the difference and that he was going to move in with another family instead of becoming food. None of my hens acted the least bit upset over his "loss" for even a day.
For this reason, if I cull a roo by means of food preparations, I never do it near them. If I cull a roo by letting someone else adopt, they have to pick him up from my property so that if they care to bid farewell, they have the chance. They may not care in the same way we humans care, but there is no denying that a flock can be a pretty tight-knit group.
My point is... watch your flock. You will be able to tell which roos your ladies can do without, and which roos make them feel safe, feed them well, ect. Also, if you are keeping atleast one of your roos, make sure you choose one that YOU can live with.

 

[adgcountrygirl]

Oh, and as for adding the 29 to the rest of the flock. when they are old enough to be out of the brooder, move them into the coop, but ONLY if you can keep them separated from the older group. (I used 3 large rabbit hutches for my chicks, but I had little over a dozen) You can also use dog crates if they are large enough or a temporary fence. This allows you hens and chicks to see, hear and maybe even smell eachother. They will get aquainted somewhat in this manner until the chicks are 2 months old. By then they are old enough to get out of the way, but young enough to not be sassy. This is an indirect quote from someone else on BYC but I don't remember who. Anyhow! It worked perfectly for me. My flock of 25 are now in the same coop with no dividers and no casualties.