tossin' em all together soon .... any tips?

[mistylady]

I have 9 hens that live in small cages and each cage has a bossy gal (not mean but she is the boss). When I let a hen out to roam around while I clean she always goes to another cage and picks a fight through the cage. In a few days (fingers crossed) all the hens will get to go live in the coop and play on the run. Is there a good way to put all my hens together without having chicken battles?

 

[swtangel321]

At night (when it's dark) would be the best time to put them together in there new coop, stick em all in there and when the wake up in the morning they will be like "ohhh you have been here all night with me" i'm sure they will still have to get a pecking order going so dont be too worried unless they are killing each other, good luck and let me know how it goes !!!

 

[MagsC]

I think at least a few battles are inevitable, because, as said, they need to work out the pecking order. Just keep an eye on them.
The idea of putting them together when its dark might help, cant hurt to try!

 

[the simple life]

I wish you luck, I am going through the same thing right now.
The older ones hate the younger ones and go after them out in the yard.
They are only one month older but they are aggressive towards ther others, even the roosters run from them.
I will try the night time trick too.
I wish this was easier.

 

[my first peepers]

I am having the same problem! 4 older ones (including roo) and two younger ones that get chased and pecked in the yard. The roo either ignores them or grabs them violently by the neck. I know this is normal but I'm worried that if I put them in at night they would get killed before I get out there to check them in the morning. What time do chickens wake up anyway? I get out there at 7:30-8 usually and they are waiting to get let out.

 

[nerfy]

I am in the process of this also.
Still a bit uneasy about the night time coop intro. The older hens are about 8 months old,(RI and BR) the others are 4 months.(EE Silver wyandotte and golden wyandotte) They are separated at night.
They have been out loose together for the past couple of months, the chasing has subsided quite a bit, but I still don't feel comfortable having them confined together yet.

 

[chookchick]

I would be really nervous about the night time intro idea, unless you are a really early riser! I have read horror stories on this forum about waking up to dead, or very bloody chickens. Is there some way you can keep them in separate coops for at least a week or two where they can see and hear each other but not get at each other? Then they will start to regard each other as part of the same flock. I kept my new hen separated this way for a month, and finally today they spent the whole day without any squabbles--yaaaah!

Before that I mucked things up by trying to introduce them too soon, and there were bad feelings all around. If they are fighting enough to draw blood they must be separated.

 

[Poler]

I've got an old rabit hutch that I use as a smaller chicken storage area. Its just got chicken wire, and all my chickens spend the first month of their lives either in the brooder or in that thing. They can see each other, and they can somewhat interact.

There's still some violence, my rooster had all the feathers plucked off his back by my other roosters, but once he got larger, the feathers grew back fine and theres no longer violence. It just takes some time to get used to each other, I guess.

 

[n2h20]

i too am going through this same thing, i had free ranged them for about a week,, forcing them to be close to one another,, the older ones would peck at the little ones and they would run and hide. the older ones would eventually leave them alone as long as they were not to close. after about a week i would put the little ones in the coop watching closely for 30 minutes or so and eventually walk away leaving the door opem. the older ones would run out and start eating the grass, any way,, its been almost a week sice they have been together in the coop all night and all day unless they were out free ranging. the little ones would stay, eat and drink. the older ones are leaving them alone now and for the first time since the little ones came out with the older ones as one flock.. PROGRESS!!!!!\\\\
so far so good, the little still watch each others backs,

good luck

 

[Beekissed]

Mine free range, so the only squabbles between generations seem to be at the feeder and settling in for the night. The older gals do like their status!

I can't imagine how difficult this would be in an enclosed run...lots of fights, I would imagine. In a free range situation, my smaller birds are lighter and faster! They can avoid any confrontations that may arise. I've not noticed any major battles yet for them.