Moving two groups of chicks into a coop at once?

[PonderosaChick]

Hello everyone! We are almost finished with our coop, and I was planning to move the 4 "big girls" (almost 9 weeks) into it, and the 3 "little girls"(almost 6 weeks) were going to stay in the garage. It is nice and warm in the evening now, and everyone is pretty well feathered out, so is there a way I could move them all in at once? They haven't had any contact with one another yet.

Thank you for your help!

 

[PonderosaChick]

What I'm HOPING someone will say is that the disruption of moving into the coop will increase the chances of everyone accepting one another and getting along beautifully.

 

[MidnightChickenLover]

Chickens around that age are starting their own pecking orders. I suggest that you first move the smaller ones in. Birds are territorial, so when you introduce them into the new place they will first think it is the younger chicks. At this age I would not be to concerned. I suggest 2 days with the smaller ones in it alone first though. Hope everything goes smoothly. What you could also do is if you have a run let them all in that at once. The new area, grass, and everything will be pretty overwhelming and will down-focus their attention on each other ( as long as none of them havn't been in there before)

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I agree. There will still be some establishing of a pecking order. I think you should watch them when you first put them together.

 

[txredneckmedic]

have they ever been together or around each other?

 

[PonderosaChick]

Great-thank you so much for the advice! I'll let you know how it goes.

txredneckmedic, they have never met face to face, but the two brooders are next to one another, so they have heard each other-I don't know if that makes any difference.