Purebreds and Mutts

[ChikinInThePines]

Hey Everyone!

My wife and I have successfully graduated with an A+ in chicken math as our original "5 chickens max" has turned into 24....

Here is the issue we are facing. We currently have a run and coop that is plenty big enough to house all of them! We planned BIG. However, we were gifted a group of 8 chicks several months before our big clutch of chickens in the mail. The first chicks that we were given from a friend must have been exposed to some type of radiation, because they are 3x bigger than the ones we received in the mail. The problem now is trying to mix them together...we have:

MAIL CHICKENS
6 Barred Rocks
-5 Females
-1 Male (Very Sweet)
6 Anconas
- All Female (Very Skittish)
4 Americaunas
- 3 Females
- 1 Male (Skittish)
1 Random Brown Meat chicken hybrid that is very sweet that we feel bad for named Blondie. (This was the "surprise" chick that McMurray Hatchery sent with our order).

STEROID CHIMKENS
All Americaunas mixed with Blue Factor Brahmas
- 4 Males (2 Very MEAN)
- 4 Females (Very Sweet)

I have witnessed what happens when one of the little ones gets into the big chicken area...they will kill them. The problem is that we have the little ones in a closed off section of the run all day, every day, but they are running out of space and are very messy. They need to learn to use the coop as well. I do realize that we will need to get rid of some of the male chickens...does anyone have an idea of how mix them all together safely? The big chickens started laying about 2 weeks ago. The little ones are about 4-4.5 months old now.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hey Everyone!

My wife and I have successfully graduated with an A+ in chicken math as our original "5 chickens max" has turned into 24....

Here is the issue we are facing. We currently have a run and coop that is plenty big enough to house all of them! We planned BIG. However, we were gifted a group of 8 chicks several months before our big clutch of chickens in the mail. The first chicks that we were given from a friend must have been exposed to some type of radiation, because they are 3x bigger than the ones we received in the mail. The problem now is trying to mix them together...we have:

MAIL CHICKENS
6 Barred Rocks
-5 Females
-1 Male (Very Sweet)
6 Anconas
- All Female (Very Skittish)
4 Americaunas
- 3 Females
- 1 Male (Skittish)
1 Random Brown Meat chicken hybrid that is very sweet that we feel bad for named Blondie. (This was the "surprise" chick that McMurray Hatchery sent with our order).

STEROID CHIMKENS
All Americaunas mixed with Blue Factor Brahmas
- 4 Males (2 Very MEAN)
- 4 Females (Very Sweet)

I have witnessed what happens when one of the little ones gets into the big chicken area...they will kill them. The problem is that we have the little ones in a closed off section of the run all day, every day, but they are running out of space and are very messy. They need to learn to use the coop as well. I do realize that we will need to get rid of some of the male chickens...does anyone have an idea of how mix them all together safely? The big chickens started laying about 2 weeks ago. The little ones are about 4-4.5 months old now.

I don't have nor know anything other than Silkies, but size is the determining factor. Ours can't join the older ones until they are nearly 6 months old. Silkies mature slower, so I'd think your little ones should be getting close to the same size. If you can postpone joining them for another couple of weeks until they ARE the same size, I think you'll see less issues.

 

[ChikinInThePines]

I don't have nor know anything other than Silkies, but size is the determining factor. Ours can't join the older ones until they are nearly 6 months old. Silkies mature slower, so I'd think your little ones should be getting close to the same size. If you can postpone joining them for another couple of weeks until they ARE the same size, I think you'll see less issues.

The chickens which we had ordered in the mail are growing just MUCH MUCH slower than the ones we were given.

My idea is to let the big ones out of the run and coop to free range during the day while I let the little ones have free reign over the entire thing. Then at night, push them back into the cut-off area, and let the big ones back in. At some point though I will let the big ones back in while the little ones are in the entire thing...I just fear it will be a bloodbath.

 

[The Birb King]

That's pretty strange. I can introduce 4 week old chicks to my adult birds and they live together fine. How old are your 2 groups of chickens?

 

[Debbie292d]

That's pretty strange. I can introduce 4 week old chicks to my adult birds and they live together fine. How old are your 2 groups of chickens?

The older group that goes to the main coop are 2 years to 5 years old. The other group of 7 are barely 4 months old and have a temporary coop on the other side of the yard about an acre or two away. They all free-range in their own group, but if they meet up, the big ones chase off the smaller ones. I have one older hen that jumped on one of them and ripped at its head, much like an aggressive rooster would do. The border collie saw that and broke it up, but it's like fricking kindergarten around here some days. I know from doing this in the past, another month, more likely two, and they'll all be going to the same coop and getting along fine.

 

[ChikinInThePines]

That's pretty strange. I can introduce 4 week old chicks to my adult birds and they live together fine. How old are your 2 groups of chickens?

Hey Birb! The big chickens are around 7 months of age where the small ones are at about 4.5 months. We didn't realize at the time, but there are 4 roosters in the big group....we will probably end up processing 3 of them.

The older group that goes to the main coop are 2 years to 5 years old. The other group of 7 are barely 4 months old and have a temporary coop on the other side of the yard about an acre or two away. They all free-range in their own group, but if they meet up, the big ones chase off the smaller ones. I have one older hen that jumped on one of them and ripped at its head, much like an aggressive rooster would do. The border collie saw that and broke it up, but it's like fricking kindergarten around here some days. I know from doing this in the past, another month, more likely two, and they'll all be going to the same coop and getting along fine.

I am thinking of introducing them to each other "slowly". In a way, I am hoping that maybe the sheer NUMBER/horde of small ones will cause the bigger ones to shy away from any aggressiveness. But with 4 hormonal and aggressive roosters it may be really hard.

 

[The Birb King]

Hey Birb! The big chickens are around 7 months of age where the small ones are at about 4.5 months. We didn't realize at the time, but there are 4 roosters in the big group....we will probably end up processing 3 of them.



I am thinking of introducing them to each other "slowly". In a way, I am hoping that maybe the sheer NUMBER/horde of small ones will cause the bigger ones to shy away from any aggressiveness. But with 4 hormonal and aggressive roosters it may be really hard.

Yea that sounds good just try introducing them slowly. Do they free range? You could try expanding your coop, adding more stuff in it, or feeding them different food.

 

[aart]

We currently have a run and coop that is plenty big enough to house all of them!

How big is that in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics could really help us help you.

Size of birds doesn't matter as much as territory and resources.

Here's some tips about.....
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.

Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/