Need advice about combination!

[sangel4you]

So we are planning to move our six lovely ladies to a temporary coop tonight until their coop is finished because they just plain have no room in their brooder anymore... they're 7 weeks old today. Thing is, the pen we're adding them to already has an exsisting bird- we dont know roo or pullet but we're hoping and thinking pullet. This bird is exactly the same age as my birds but was from a different hatch. How will they get along? Should I worry about that bird hurting mine, or mine hurting it? I would feel terrible if ours hurt theirs after they're letting us use their pen. Any specific way I should introduce them in this evening?

 

[Judy]

Here is one thread on this. I especially liked Davaroo's method, post #7:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=172011

And here is another source:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

Good luck!

 

[sangel4you]

I do too, except I have never seen this pen and wont until we take them over...idk the coop setup and if I can separate them or not, or if I'll even be able to put them in at dark...hence the reason we're waiting until close to dusk so they dont have long to pick on eachother before bedtime?...

 

[vnploveschickens]

Is the size of your existing bird about the same as the 7 week olds?
I found they are better able to protect themselves while they are going thru the pecking order process.

Keep us updated. Good Luck!

 

[sangel4you]

decided not to actually mix them...they're in cages side by side thats all. But we started the coop!!! Got the frame and three walls up tonight! So excited! Looks fairly decent for using mostly recyled wood including some hideous painted wooden garage doors ha ha!

 

[cmom]

Put them together and see how they react. I think the most ideal times are either when they are free ranging, I also put plenty of treats out so the birds fixate more on the treats than each other, or at roost time.