Need Help.... How to introduce Old Hens to new Chicks

[jaimslee4u]

I have 3 Hens all about a year old, 2 Barred & 1 Buff Orp who have been cooping together for most of their life. I now have three 8 week old pullets in a temporary coop next to them. The big girls obviously roam free during the day and the little ones come out on supervised roam time only. ( so the hawks don't get them)

My question is will they ever be able to be allowed to mingle and stay in the big coop? The big ones got into the little coop one day when the kids were feeding them and they cornered all the little ones. The two barred's aren't overly aggressive but my Buff Orp pecks the little ones much harder than the others. Surprisingly she is not the Alpha hen of the bunch.

Please tell me this gets better with time.

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

I just toss em in and let them re-establish there picking order. Make sure there allowin them to eat and if there not put some food seperate from others in a small dish when the big girls are feeding. In just a few days they will be one big happy family.

Edited to say Thats if you have had them close to eachother like you said where they were able to hear eachothers peeping If not then Move em close to them for a few days then introduce them.

 

[jaimslee4u]

The temporary coop is actually on the end of the big coop so they can see each other.

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

Quote:
then toss em in and um....

watch em snuggle in a day or 2

 

[StormyMoon]

When I join mine together, I waited till they was ready for bed everyone found their spot, then in the morning it was like they had always been together.
I don't know why it works like that but it just does, then in the morning when I let them out usually the older hens will do their things and the younger ones will follow along behind mimicking what the older chicks are doing. They will follow the older chicks to the coop to go to bed the next night.

 

[3chimama]

This is how I introduce my different ages....
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[philippa@65]

Yes i keep them in seperate runs next to each other for a few days them put em all in together at bedtime, just introduced two 10 weeks old chicks with mums back in to my flock of four and had no trouble yet, weve had hens join us and lost some since we started last year but not had any trouble with them bullying each other.

 

[crazy chook]

Quote:

Same - this is how I introduce them - I keep them in separate runs next to each other for a few days them put em all in together at bedtime. Works for me.

 

[PineappleMama]

I made a little 'cage' out of grid pieces (normally you build shelves out of them) and the little ones are in there within the aviary that hold the GSLs... so far so good... but I'm still nervous about them meeting beak to beak.