Mixing my chickens together.

[shannonq88]

I need some help. 2 weeks ago I added 7 new chickens to my established flock of 8 chickens. The old ones chased them around and pecked at them throughout the day and since then the new chickens will not come out of the coop into the yard. They stay on the perch and refuse to go outside by the older chickens. Does any one have any advice how to get them to leave the coop and interact with the others?

 

[chickens really]

First off Chickens have a very strong pecking order..
Do you have another pen so they can all see each other but not touch?
If not the transition will take longer. You will probably be okay with your current set up being no one has been seriously injured.
For a couple of months they will be two separate flocks.
The new hens are scared to go outside.

 

[shannonq88]

I put them in a pen inside the coop for about 3 weeks before I let them all out in the run together. No one has been hurt the new ones are just a little scared of the older ones. I think I am going to let them do their thing and intervene if there is any blood shed.

 

[shannonq88]

My other issue is I have the original group of 8 that's 1 year old, then i just mixed in my other group of 7 (teenagers) which i was inquiring about. And now i have another group of 6 chicks came later and they are 3 bantams and 3 red sussex. They are only 2 months old and were delivered late and are way to small to mix in with the the middle group (teenagers) at the time. So now I want the 2 groups to meet the 3rd group so I just added them to the pen separated inside the coop so both groups can see them for about a month. The red sussex are getting huge like 8-10 pounds and the bantams are about 3 pounds. Any advice what to do here. was it a bad move to put them in since the other 2 groups have not merged yet?

 

[chickens really]

My other issue is I have the original group of 8 that's 1 year old, then i just mixed in my other group of 7 (teenagers) which i was inquiring about. And now i have another group of 6 chicks came later and they are 3 bantams and 3 red sussex. They are only 2 months old and were delivered late and are way to small to mix in with the the middle group (teenagers) at the time. So now I want the 2 groups to meet the 3rd group so I just added them to the pen separated inside the coop so both groups can see them for about a month. The red sussex are getting huge like 8-10 pounds and the bantams are about 3 pounds. Any advice what to do here. was it a bad move to put them in since the other 2 groups have not merged yet?

No, as long as they are in the separate pen? Keep doing as you were with the first two batches.
It will take awhile but it should all work out.

 

[shannonq88]

Thanks for the help!

 

[chickens really]

Thanks for the help!

Enjoy your Birds.