Ready to move into Coop with older Hens?

[r-l-newell]

Here is a photo of one of my Chicks that I want to move in with my older hens. Does she look old enough and large enough to move her in with two one year old hens? I have a Rhode Island Red and an Austrolop that I want to move her and five other of the same sized chicks into the coop with.

 

[emys]

Have they been able to see each other for awhile now? If so, I would put them together. Your ratio of 2 older hens to 5 new ones is a good one. The older hens are outnumbered, and will probably integrate easier.

 

[NonnasBabies]

Is she about the same size as your older ones??? You don't want to mix them if their way smaller!!

Missi

 

[Gypsy07]

When I moved my babies out into the coop at about 7 weeks old, I put up a wire mesh divider between younguns and biguns so that they could see each other but there wouldn't be any unseemly squabbling. I was putting four babies in with seven oldsters though, so they were a bit outnumbered! I also put a 60W bulb out there for them as the nights were still very cold. After a few weeks I took the divider away and they integrated fairly smoothly. I kept an eye out for piles of feathers in the coop though, just in case there was any pecking going on...

Your ratio of 5 younguns to 2 biguns is probably going to make it easier...

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

She looks pretty small yet. Did you have them next to each other behind screen/fencing for at least 2 weeks so they can see each other? If not they need to be able to see them for a while before adding them. Be sure you add them when you have a while to sit and watch them. Hens can be VERY mean. I have never successfully added new hens because I can't stand to watch them be beat up so badly. My group of hens are SO mean to newbies

 

[r-l-newell]

Quote:
The chicks were in a chicken wire brooder in my storage area inside the chicken coop and the older hens were only seperated by a double layer of chicken wire from them and they have seen each other every day since they were put in the brooder and raised right next to each other. Also, I have three smaller ones in the brooder with these older ones and eventually I will be moving them into the coop as well once they get bigger.

In reference to someone elses question: Unfortuanetly they aren't the same size as the older hens. As you can see in the photo the small hen is only perching on a strand of chicken wire so she isn't that large overall. Especially compared to a one year old hen. I took the photo with my cell phone this morning.