problems with sleeping quarters!

[brynchicks]

hello from sunny cornwall (u.K.)
I have had 4 chickens for about a year and was recently given 2 new ones to add to my collection. They are beginning to settle in, althought the first ones still go for them when feeding, but they won't go/are not allowed inside the house to roost - there would be plenty of perching room, but they sit outside - one seems toi actually sleep on the ground. Should I try and add on a another wing to the house?

 

[Uppity Peon]

Try going out after dark when they are asleep and putting the new ones on the existing perches. You may need to do this a few nights, but hopefully that will help with the integration.

 

[Buzzy]

Uppity's got it --

worked for me.

 

[rainbowgardens]

I just completed the integration of my flocks this week.

My 8 dominiques from last year occupied the coop. My 14 speckled sussex from this year where still in my chicken tractor for the night. All free ranged together during the day, but the sussex would always go back to the tractor for the night.

This week I closed the door for good. The poor things were so confused. They were trying to roost on top of my lawn chair until it fell over. For three nights I had to carry them to the coop. Each night a few more would go on by themselves until the third night when I only had to carry two. Now they all know.

Of course, they're still not completely integrated. the dominiques sleep on the roosts and the sussex all try to crowd together on top of a shelf I have garden supplies on. They've knocked down quite a bit of stuff. I need to block it somehow.

Will they ever see themselves as one flock??