hi all,im new to this site.i have had my new chickens for 5 weeks and have been slowly introducing the 2 new hens to my 4 others.my 2nd coop has got damaged and i am unable to fix it.will it be ok to put the new hens in full time as i have no other choice.thanks
How old are the older hens? I've always had good luck putting 'new' chickens in the coop with others if I do it at night. Simply quietly place the new girls on the roosts with the others. In the morning they all wake up together and most usually no one is the wiser as chickens can't count so they don't know there are 'extras'. You still may have some issues with the older chickens rearranging the pecking order, but it really is easier than if you just put the new girls in with the older ones during the day.
I have a mixed flock. I introduced my Buff O's to the 2 month older Barreds when they were closer in size. They have been together since the end of July. They all get along but they still have a tendency to stay with their own kind. There are two Buffs that roost with the majority of Barreds and one Barred that likes to roost with the Buffs. I know of someone who introduced very young juveniles to an established flock and the younger ones didn't make it. Pecking order is definitely evident in the chicken community. Just my humble observations.
