Should I leave the two young ones witht he big ones over night?

[Toshi]

Ok, i have been trying to get flock 1 and flock 2 into the same coop. So far it is working. But i let them out today and all was fine, my biger roo chased the 15 week old pullet around and he didnt go after the 15 week old roo, so after he done that he started to be calm around her. And so are the hens.

So i put them in the coop and set them all up on the perches, they did fine, but the younger roo freaks out evey time he gets near one of the older hens, and near the big roo. Now both of the younger ones are the same size as the hens and both the hens seem to want to pick at the younger roo only when he starts making a fuss. But they are all settleing down right now in the coop sorta. The younger hen is roosting wiht the biger ones and she only got pecked at once or so, while the younger roo sits on the bottom under the roost, he will not stay on the perches even if the biger hens dont mess with him.

This is my first year with chickens and i need to get this flock as one before i go back to school, so should i leave them in over night? Or should i just put the younger ones back in the barn for the night? I have been working on this for two whole days now and i just dont know what to do, so any help would be wanderful.

 

[Toshi]

Anyone? Like what did you do when you added new birds?

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

If they are getting along during the day I would go ahead and put them together. The easiest way to do this is at night after they have gone to roost for a couple of hours. Don't turn on any lights and use a small flashlight to see. Put them an any empty roost spot and when they get up in the morning they think they have always been there. You'll have some minor squables to establish a new pecking order. This has worked for me with the last six hatches when they were big enough.

 

[hcppam]

don't know how many chickens you have, but two roos can be a problem.

 

[Toshi]

Thank you ibeier2000

They are in the coop now, and well they all settled down, i just went out to check on them and the 3 biger ones are standing up and sleeping, looked like one of the hens is still awake but the little hen is sleeping near the big girls and the big boy, so i will leave them in over night, dos that mean i should get up when they do to make sure nothing goes down?

And i have 5 birds right now, five i am tryingt o get together, i am still not sure if i will keep the younger roo or not. My hopes is that the bigger one will take the younger one to be second in command, i have 4 new little girls baby chicks i just got a bit ago that will go out when they are big enough, so it should be in ok number, but this is if the younger roo gets long ok, but then again not sure about him, i want to trade him for a hen.

 

[JodyJo]

I am doing the same thing now, but I have 16 chickens at 18 weeks old, 2 are roosters...you have too many roosters to pullets...usually 1 to every 10 girls.

I also have 3 8 week old EE pullets...they sleep in the small cage at night and free range all day, they don't mingle with the older ones, they still get beat up...but did catch them on the roosts
the other morning after the bigger ones left...got out of the cage...so I think I will start leaving the cage open at night...the older ones are getting used to them, it's been 2 weeks now.

 

[Toshi]

Yea i know i have too many roos, i am getting rid of the GLW hopfully i will find someone who wouldn't mind trading a roo for a hen or something, so i just took him out of the whole thing this monring, i found him with his head shoved in a corner and the pullet pacing back and forth, the girls dont seem to mind he rot much, they still jump at her to peck at her but they are not being as mean to her as they were the GLW.

I left them on the roost the other night and they all seemed to do fine when they were settling down. As for the pullet how can i get her not to be to nervoes like she is, she will not stop walking back and forth, that younger roo has got her scared crap less when it comes to the bigger ones, who really are not all that big, 23 weeks and then the younger ones 15 weeks, so i would think they be just fine right?

 

[Nicole01]

I personally would keep them separated in the coop until the young ones are big enough to defend themselves. I seperate my own by using a wire dog kennel inside the coop. Good luck.

 

[Toshi]

I am thinking i might have to do that for a while but, the pullet is about the same size as the bigger girls, and the big roo doesn't mind her at all, he is not the one doing the pecking it is just those two big girls, they even beat on the younger roo not to bad thou just scared him a lot.

This is a pain, i hope they take her in becuase i have another bunch that will be joining them in 15 to 16 weeks