Time to combine

[catsew]

Well its almost time to combine the chickens and get rid of the rooster. Is it better to put them together in the middle of the night. Or let them all out in the yard together during the day (like you do with dogs)? Or should I do one at a time in a separate cage inside the big coop? If I do the separate cage I'm just not sure how to keep food or water in there plus the chicken.
And also we are going to be borrowing a few chickens for the winter to make sure there are enough to keep warm. Should I combine those at the same time so all but 1 are new, or merge the ones we have and then do it again for the others?

Sorry if thats confusing. Feel free to ask any questions.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The chicken society is so tight and regimented that all introductions are stressful. However, I have found a longer introduction, through wire or mesh, helps them know each other a little. I like the introduction to be outside, where running away is easy. Some folks say that "D" day is best done at night so they all wake up together. I'm pretty sure the other chickens aren't "fooled" by that. But, either way, when the eventful day comes the new members will often be treated rather harshly and shown the rules of the roost, the feeder, etc. It's tough, but they eventually work it out. If the birds are reasonably the same size and weight, the fight is more fair.

 

[Judy]

Also I'd have at least two feeders and waterers, not too close together, maybe one set in the coop and the other in the yard, of two different sides of the yard.

 

[catsew]

See thats what I'm worried about, they'd be going into a fenced in run, so they couldn't really get away too much. Unless I let them all loose in the yard and just have to worry about catching them later. I also have some wire fences that I put them into in different parts of the yard, so maybe I could put them all into a new area in the evening-ish?

Would it be better if I do 1 chicken thats been here and then the new ones? or 1 and 1 and get them together and then add the rest?