putting new hens on roost with established hens after dark

[timierinrn]

has anyone tried this method? I am so afraid to try it. my 3 new girls have been beat up on a bit from my 3 older birds, and I am so afraid that if I put them in there I will wake up and find one or more of my new birds dead or badly hurt. I really want to get them out of the dog carrier that they have claimed as their coop and into the big girl coop.

 

[dela1991]

I am wondering about this too. I have three 2 year old hens in the big coop and have nine 4 week old chicks that I want to one day be one flock. I tend to sweat the small stuff when it comes to my chickens but I am going to keep an eye on this thread to get some ideas of how to integrate when the time comes. Wouldn't life be grand if they all just got along?

 

[Karen09]

I have done this many times but I have a smaller coop where the two runs are right next to each other and I keep them this way for about a month before I introduce them in at night and just put them on the roosts. I have introduced new girls at night this way but not really younger ones. I also have a huge fenced in area so they can keep away during the day. You can try it but check on them first thing in the morning. good luck

 

[dreamcatcherarabians]

I just integrated my 3 two year old hens with my 50 new chicks and they are fine together. There's a little pecking here and there but for the most part no one is getting beat up. I kept the 3 older hens in my feed shed at night until the new chicks were looking pretty grown up and I let the old hens do their usual free range thing and the new ones have the run of the 'chicken' yard during the day for about 2 weeks, then I put the older hens in with the new ones at night about 3 times. I let them go to bed in the feed shed and then gave them 'limo rides' and snuggles before I put them into the coop and I also built them a higher roost that they love. Now everyone is a big happy family.

 

[dela1991]

Today I put my nine five week old chicks in the run for the first time while my 3 big girls ranged in the yard. I sectioned off an area for the chicks that allowed for face time if the big girls came back into the run for food. They saw each other through the fencing but there was no outward aggression. I put the chicks back into the brooder in the garage about 1/2 hour ago. I figured I would do this for a while till I felt comfortable taking down the fence and seeing what happens. I almost bought a small chicken tractor for my three older girls but came to my senses and just put the chicks in the run for the day. I have a 8' x 6' coop with an attached 8' x 16' run. My older chickens free range most of the day. My coop is plenty big for all of the chickens. I just don't want any blood shed. I will try to remember to let you know how the integration process goes.

Terri

 

[okallthis4eggs]

How does that work when you let a broody hen hatch eggs with other birds present? Will the broody hen protect the chicks or do they have to be removed after they hatch?

 

[Mrs. K]

I have thought of taking a video, to show just how well it works with a broody hen. Mine set in the coop, and hatched them out there. After 24 hour, she left the nest, and created a nest on the floor, with all the chicks under her.

For the first two days, I got up pretty quickly, and let the layers out to free range, just to give everyone some more space. But I have been watching them, and they are just pretty much part of the flock. For the most part, the broody keeps the layers on one side of her, and the chicks behind her. I do have hideouts, but none have really been used.

When I free range them, the broody and chicks keep more to themselves, and stay a little closer to the coop. But not much, the broody has them crawling up banks, over sticks and branches, they really get their exercise!

It works much better than doing the whole fence, separation thing for me.

I have seen much advice of separating the broody hen from the flock, but I am not a believer, when those eggs first hatch, the hormones are strong, and the broody hen, would take your arm off at the elbo, that aggression straightens up any of the layers into leaving the chicks alone, and by the time that wears off, the flock is used to them.

MrsK

 

[callahanfarmgirl]

How does that work when you let a broody hen hatch eggs with other birds present? Will the broody hen protect the chicks or do they have to be removed after they hatch?

I have 2 broody hens with chicks. One set is 3 weeks old & the other set is 1 week old. I seperate my broodies from the flock. I have them in wire cages in our workshop. For a couple hrs a day I will set them outside (still in cage) so they can see their free range yard & the flock but no one can get to them. I don't think broody mom could protect them from the roo. In the past, when chicks where fully feathered, I let mom & chicks free range with my supervision & without fail after a week or so of that broody mom seems to just walk away from chicks & rejoins flock. I then put chicks in the coop, still in cage for another week or so. Then I let chicks out to join flock & other than some minor pecking everything went well.

 

[callahanfarmgirl]

I have thought of taking a video, to show just how well it works with a broody hen. Mine set in the coop, and hatched them out there. After 24 hour, she left the nest, and created a nest on the floor, with all the chicks under her.

For the first two days, I got up pretty quickly, and let the layers out to free range, just to give everyone some more space. But I have been watching them, and they are just pretty much part of the flock. For the most part, the broody keeps the layers on one side of her, and the chicks behind her. I do have hideouts, but none have really been used.

When I free range them, the broody and chicks keep more to themselves, and stay a little closer to the coop. But not much, the broody has them crawling up banks, over sticks and branches, they really get their exercise!

It works much better than doing the whole fence, separation thing for me.

I have seen much advice of separating the broody hen from the flock, but I am not a believer, when those eggs first hatch, the hormones are strong, and the broody hen, would take your arm off at the elbo, that aggression straightens up any of the layers into leaving the chicks alone, and by the time that wears off, the flock is used to them.

MrsK

What about predators? My DH won't even let me keep broody & chicks in an empty coop I have because he is afraid a snake will get chicks!!!