Older girls, and young ladies...

[mowin]

In MY opinion, that is not enough room for 12 unless they are small. I have 8 hens in a 10x10 stall with boards at lots of levels to go on, with a large run (40x65') outside. They like to move around a LOT. They are fine inside for a day or 2 but definitely prefer access to outside, weather permitting. I have 4 red sex-links (medium size) and 4 Langshan crosses (large girls).

My red ones are a year older than the black ones and there was a definite division between them for a long time... like 2 separate flocks. Now they are mingling more... maybe since the black ones started laying... not sure of the reason.

I definitely don't want 12 ladies. Most I can handle is 9.... Well chicken ladies anyway. Lol.

It's only my wife and I. However lots of family nearby to hand off the extra egg or two.

I couldn't do much coop work the last couple days. Tomorrow I should be able to get a lot done.

 

[mowin]

I add hatched chicks every spring, brood in coop one week after hatch, integrate with flock by 4-6 weeks....but have the space and setup to make it pretty easy.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

I still follow the ....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

I've raised beef, and pigs. They seem so easy compared to a 4lb chicken. Lol.

 

[Helloworld]

He needs to put chicks with those hens to see if they will take them. He probably won’t want to do this training so it sounds as if you plan to introduce pullets to hens. The older hens will peck them to make them find their place in line and they may not want them in there at all. It takes a chicken about 20 minutes to hold down a full grown chicken and continuously peck at the earlobe because they know that is the kill spot because juggler sits close to surface.

I would take the chicks and pass on the chickens. They are two years old so he is rotating his flock most likely and you have at max maybe a yr. for eggs. I have had them lay longer, but after two they start becoming a pet, food or foster mothers if the birds go broody often. Something to ponder.

 

[Chickassan]

Thank goodness cows and pigs don't present some of the challenges chickens do!

I've raised beef, and pigs. They seem so easy compared to a 4lb chicken. Lol.

 

[mowin]

He needs to put chicks with those hens to see if they will take them. He probably won’t want to do this training so it sounds as if you plan to introduce pullets to hens. The older hens will peck them to make them find their place in line and they may not want them in there at all. It takes a chicken about 20 minutes to hold down a full grown chicken and continuously peck at the earlobe because they know that is the kill spot because juggler sits close to surface.

I would take the chicks and pass on the chickens. They are two years old so he is rotating his flock most likely and you have at max maybe a yr. for eggs. I have had them lay longer, but after two they start becoming a pet, food or foster mothers if the birds go broody often. Something to ponder.

Seeing I've raised beef and hogs, I"m comfortable making the older hens into chicken soup.

It definitely sounds like I need to pass on the older hens, and figure out a plan in a couple yrs to rotate my stock without causing harm to the younger chicks.

 

[123RedBeard]

Orpington's tend to go broody, that means that they want to sit on eggs and hatch chicks ... a broody mother hen will take care of the integration all by herself!

If you don't have a male to fertilize the eggs ... just put her on a nest of golf balls, and order some chicks ... in a week or more of sitting, when you get the chicks, just put the chicks under her at night, and remove the golf balls ... she "should" raise them up just fine!

 

[elmo]

So at what age can I comfortably mix older and Younger hens? Do I need to wait until the younger ones start to lay?

After our chicks started being attacked by their own mothers (around the time their combs started growing), I kept them in a separate temporary pen until they were fully grown...to the same size as the adult hens. Then I used the "look don't touch" method to integrate them back into the flock.

 

[Debby R]

No. The pullets cannot eat layer feed as the calcium is too high and will damage their kidneys. The hens can eat the chick starter though as long as they have oyster shell or another calcium source available to them. I am in that exact situation now trying to integrate my 4 month olds with my two year olds. The hens LOVE the chick starter. Medicated is okay and okay to eat the eggs.