New to this

[Mary M.]

Ah, I see!
It's too bad the mama didn't acclimate the chicks to living in the main coop.
So 2 new birds are living in the small coop and the 6wo chicks are sleeping... where?

How big is the main coop, in feet by feet?
Dimensions of coops, and pics inside and out, would help garner some specific suggestions.
Yes, integration can be a PITA ...Chicken Juggling!

The coop is quite old and we will be replacing it when we can afford to. It is of a structure which does not easily allow access. It is about 6 feet by 3 feet. I think it can house about 15 I think.
The 6 chicks are in a small coop and the 2 new hens are in another small coop that I made. It would be great to get them all in one place asap.

Ah, I see!
It's too bad the mama didn't acclimate the chicks to living in the main coop.
So 2 new birds are living in the small coop and the 6wo chicks are sleeping... where?

How big is the main coop, in feet by feet?
Dimensions of coops, and pics inside and out, would help garner some specific suggestions.
Yes, integration can be a PITA ...Chicken Juggling!

 

[Mary M.]

If the little ones have been free ranging with the bigger ones I don't think you will have a problem. Teen agers do like to stay out at night. I would shut off the little ones coop. And go down just before dark, to make sure they get in the coop. I would not make them roost, just get in there. They will figure it out.

As for the two new ones, I would also put them into the coop/run set up, while locking out the original birds, say in the afternoon, just so they can explore the set up, figure it out. Then I would let the older flock in just before dark.

Then have multiple feed bowls, currently I have a broody hen with chicks, 3 pullets that just started laying (hurray) and the older crowd. I have three bowls around the run, place so that while eating at one bowl, one is out of sight of others eating at another bowl.

Some clutter in the run can be very helpful during integration, and it makes the run more interesting to chickens. Have roosts in the run, have platforms that chickens can get on top of or underneath, pallets up against a wall that chickens can get behind.

Once you get them all together, this will be a bit easier. Sometimes having a lot of change all at once can help, it kind of shakes up everything. I would be strongly tempted to put them all together all at once, but monitor. A couple of flourishes is no big deal, but relentless harassment is. I would not expect it, but sometimes chickens have not read the plan.

Mrs K[/QUOTE

Currently the new hens don't want to come out of their little coop. They are from a breeder so they may not be used to having open space.

The little ones are about 6 weeks old. They try to get into the big coop but when that fails they return to their other coop. I would like them to sleep in there.

Once the new ones are used to things I would like them to free range with the others. We don't have a run for the main coop. As soon as I let them out they have the run of the yard (that's what my MIL did for years). They are very free range. They pretty much have the dream life for a chicken.

 

[Mary M.]

If the little ones have been free ranging with the bigger ones I don't think you will have a problem. Teen agers do like to stay out at night. I would shut off the little ones coop. And go down just before dark, to make sure they get in the coop. I would not make them roost, just get in there. They will figure it out.

As for the two new ones, I would also put them into the coop/run set up, while locking out the original birds, say in the afternoon, just so they can explore the set up, figure it out. Then I would let the older flock in just before dark.

Then have multiple feed bowls, currently I have a broody hen with chicks, 3 pullets that just started laying (hurray) and the older crowd. I have three bowls around the run, place so that while eating at one bowl, one is out of sight of others eating at another bowl.

Some clutter in the run can be very helpful during integration, and it makes the run more interesting to chickens. Have roosts in the run, have platforms that chickens can get on top of or underneath, pallets up against a wall that chickens can get behind.

Once you get them all together, this will be a bit easier. Sometimes having a lot of change all at once can help, it kind of shakes up everything. I would be strongly tempted to put them all together all at once, but monitor. A couple of flourishes is no big deal, but relentless harassment is. I would not expect it, but sometimes chickens have not



There is no lack of clutter here!

 

[Flockandfowl46]

Welcome to BYC hope you enjoy your time here I know I have very knowledgeable people here!

 

[aart]

It is about 6 feet by 3 feet. I think it can house about 15 I think.

That's pretty tight space for 12 birds.
Each bird needs about 12" of roost length, would be good to have separate roosts for each of the 3 groups. Roosting time is the most contentious time of day.

 

[aart]

Where in this world are you located?
Climate is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, then it's always there!

 

[Mary M.]

Honestly I don't know the dimensions of the coop. I had hoped to replace it by now but we had to replace our work computer instead. My husband says that it has housed up to 15 chickens in the past.

I am in Romania and in my area of Western Transylvania the winters are pretty mild. It's definitely not like the Michigan weather that I was used to. Generally the temperatures don't get too low. The coop has housed generations of chickens with no problems but I would like a new one that is easier to maintain.

 

[aart]

Regardless of the weather, crowding can be a problem, especially when integrating birds.
I guess I think everyone has a tape measure around the house, but maybe not.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

I am in Romania and in my area of Western Transylvania the winters are pretty mild. It's definitely not like the Michigan weather that I was used to. Generally the temperatures don't get too low. The coop has housed generations of chickens with no problems but I would like a new one that is easier to maintain.

 

[Mary M.]

Regardless of the weather, crowding can be a problem, especially when integrating birds.
I guess I think everyone has a tape measure around the house, but maybe not.

I'm sure I'll find a tape measure somewhere. My late mother in law had a strange way of storing thing's. You are right about the coop being small. The six chicks, although very welcome, threw me for a loop. We had already ordered and paid for the new hens before I knew about the new ones. I think the mother hen had them tucked away somewhere. The week that she died my MIL said something about a hen sitting on eggs but I didn't find her or the eggs in the coop. All summer I only saw 1 hen.
Now we are trying to buy a new coop but at the moment they are financially out of our reach. I could share a link for the coops I am looking to see what you think.