Problem Integrating Hens

[lmdengler]

I have 3 hens and Bob the Rooster who have been living happily together for a year. In February I purchased 8 pullets, and in March 3 more pullets. I am having a terrible time bringing myflock "as one".

First I tried to combine the Febrary and March girls. I set up two runs with the February and March girls next to each other in my garage for over a month. I then tried mixing them. Nope - the February girls practially devoured the March girls.

So then I decided to at least try to get the Febraru girls to move be part of the older gals. I moved the Febrary girls to an outside to a pen next to my older gals and Bob. They are litaerally "pen to pen". This has been for about 3 weeks. I have tried several times to move the February girls with the older hens - and my one hen - she pins them down and pecks at them like a mad chicken. Bob clucks and flaps scaring everyone. I understand the pecking order - but it seems like this is pretty aggressive behavior and I'm afraid someone will get hurt.

I really have to get these flocks combined. Anyone have any suggestions or advice?

 

[HuskerHens18]

When I integrated, I put the new girls in wire dog kennels and set them smack in the center of the coop. It wasn't fun for a while being in a smaller cage, but there wasn't any fighting and about a week and a half later the roosters and hens couldn't care less the new ones were running loose.
Keep trying, I'm sorry your hens are giving you problems

 

[TheTwoRoos]

First off,it sounds like your exaggerating just a bit.Second your birds don’t even need to be Seperate but more than a week,a week of seeing each other is just enough.The birds are going to fight,and yes,soem fights will be worse than others.I suggest putting two in at a time,let them settle down,add another two an about an hour or so later,and so on.Their gonna scrap,their just gonna.Just assure you have extra feeding stations and waterers.

 

[lmdengler]

When I integrated, I put the new girls in wire dog kennels and set them smack in the center of the coop. It wasn't fun for a while being in a smaller cage, but there wasn't any fighting and about a week and a half later the roosters and hens couldn't care less the new ones were running loose.
Keep trying, I'm sorry your hens are giving you problems

I like this idea. I think I'll give it a try since I have wire dog crates.

 

[lmdengler]

First off,it sounds like your exaggerating just a bit.Second your birds don’t even need to be Seperate but more than a week,a week of seeing each other is just enough.The birds are going to fight,and yes,soem fights will be worse than others.I suggest putting two in at a time,let them settle down,add another two an about an hour or so later,and so on.Their gonna scrap,their just gonna.Just assure you have extra feeding stations and waterers.

Mmmm - wish I were exagerating. But thank you for the advice.

 

[Mrs. K]

Is you run and coop a wide open area, just a flat rectangular space? Does it have hide outs, roosts, mini walls where birds can get out of sight of each other or just away from each other? One way gates where the littler birds can get through into so a safe zone and the big ones cannot follow work very well with me. ..And the big question how much space do you have? Cause tight space causes a lot of problems.

A trick that works for me, is to move your birds around, they tend to be territorial, and if they can't get into their territory, but they see another set of birds there, it seems to help. Place the older birds in the younger birds set up, and vice versa. This will also allow the new birds time to explore the new territory without being chased in fear of their lives. This way they can find hide outs, hidden food bowls and escape routes.

What should happen is tolerance, where as they tolerate and ignore each group... they will not meld into a single flock until the newbies are laying. However, they should coexist on good terms, unless you just got chicken math, and not enough space... then you either got to get bigger or cull birds.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

.And the big question how much space do you have?

Very important question!
....and ditto everything else Mrs. K said.

 

[lmdengler]

Is you run and coop a wide open area, just a flat rectangular space? Does it have hide outs, roosts, mini walls where birds can get out of sight of each other or just away from each other? One way gates where the littler birds can get through into so a safe zone and the big ones cannot follow work very well with me. ..And the big question how much space do you have? Cause tight space causes a lot of problems.

A trick that works for me, is to move your birds around, they tend to be territorial, and if they can't get into their territory, but they see another set of birds there, it seems to help. Place the older birds in the younger birds set up, and vice versa. This will also allow the new birds time to explore the new territory without being chased in fear of their lives. This way they can find hide outs, hidden food bowls and escape routes.

What should happen is tolerance, where as they tolerate and ignore each group... they will not meld into a single flock until the newbies are laying. However, they should coexist on good terms, unless you just got chicken math, and not enough space... then you either got to get bigger or cull birds.

Mrs K

I have two coops end to end. One is a 6x6x8 coop with a 12 ft run. Attached to that - where the February girls are is a raised TSC extra large coop with a 4 ft run. My plan was to take the divIding wall between the two coops. In this pic u can get the idea. In this pic we didn’t have the final panels up - but I think u get the idea

 

[aart]

That's mighty tight space for 16 birds, even if they all knew and loved one another.
Very tight space for integrations.... and when winter comes.
Any plans for expanding coop and run or reducing number of birds?

 

[Mrs. K]

You might pull the very mean hen, and see how the February and March gals and old group get along with out the mean hen. That is what I would try first. Adding a bunch is better than adding a few, it spreads the pecking out. By pulling the wicked hen, it might just allow the flock to settle down, then after several days, add her back in.

What I see in the picture is that your run is basically two dimensional, with very little to no use (from the picture) of the third dimension, the vertical space. I don't see any hiding spots either in the run. While making the run look more crowded, items that let birds get on top of or underneath, actually add usable square feet to the set up. They also allow birds to get out of sight of each other and get away from each other. Anything that slows down the predator helps. Hidden or out of sight feed bowls also help.

Another idea I would try is a flip-flop. Putting your 3 older hens and boy in the little coop, and the February girls and the March girls in the big set up for a couple of days. I don't think you will have such a problem with the March girls and February girls now, as they should be getting close to the same size by now?

If you set up a pallet between the two runs, and cut openings that would allow the little birds to go through and the bigger birds to not go through, it might help.

You are a bit tight on space, but until late next fall, I think it could work. Going into winter you need to cull down to fit your set up. 6x6 =36 sq feet about 9 birds +/-, 4x4 = 4 birds, so about 13 birds IF you use both coops.
As the chicks get bigger, and the days get shorter, they take up more space and spend more time in the coop. Ugly behavior can develop if kept to closely together.