what age do you put the young hens in with the older ones

[DeesHens]

We have 10, 21 week old Big Girls and 10, 10 week old babies (will be 5-6 by the time we filter out the roos) with a 10x20 fenced & roofed run & attached 8x4 coop. We divided off a small section at the far end with a small prefab coop that we moved the 10 "babies" into @ 6 weeks old.
After 3 weeks of through-the-fence interaction we cut a small hole in a corner, intending to make it baby size only, but my skills are poor and wound up with a few big girls coming and going to mingle and only 1 little brave chick venturing into the Big Girl run occasionally.
We let them all free range for a few hours almost every day and they keep mostly separated as we expected with some mild chasing.
4 days ago we started putting the babies into the Big Girl coop at night and they would go back to their side in the morning with no problems, sort of like a game of frogger as they ran for their fence hole! After 2 days we removed their own little prefab temp coop, but built a few hiding shelters for them. We still had to catch them and carry them over that night as there was mass confusion.
Last night was a victory, went out to move them over and every single one of them had gone into the Big Girl side and up into the coop all by themselves. A couple of them were even snuggled in roosting on the Big Girl prime roost, but a couple were just sort of hunkered down afraid to run under them to the lesser roosting real estate in the back, so we helped them over.
We may take down the divider this weekend, but am considering leaving it up another week. It has gone so smoothly I see no reason to rush it, plus there are a few little petite gals I have a sweet spot for and am worried, even though they seem to be the ones the Big Girls allow to mingle longer.

Interesting experience. I have read elsewhere that the "petite gals" were embraced that way or exact opposite when they were injured when became the pecked ones. You never know! I really wish I understood what makes the difference but I have a feeling it is breed, temperament, mood, circumstance,, etc., variables that are beyond our reasoning.

Sounds like your set up has worked well. ~Dee~

 

[LaLa Chickie]

My grow out shelter/ run,. is set up adjacent to the main coop/run. They are set a little like the yin/yang symbol.
Tonight during free range time everyone was getting along perfectly. One of my one year olds wandered into the grow out run. We had lots going on with the calves coming through the fence, the pigs got out, it was wild! When dusk fell and everyone headed to bed we were up at the house. I went down to close the coop and could here chicken talk all the way up at the house. When I got to the grow out run the big hen was on a roost by herself. She was not happy in anyway. I went in and picked her up. She is not fond of contact. She loved me at that moment. I carried her to the main coop and got her settled. All was quiet.

I will take this as a good sign that the two groups are getting more comfortable with each other.

LOve this story! LOL

 

[troy4]

so come to find out my leg horn isn't a roo but my to little chicks we think are roos that faught badly and ripped off waddles and ripped off feathers the biggest chick won the fight in they still fight but the big one hurts the little onee the little one don't fight back anymore. and would that say their roosters the biggest one acts like a rooster mean and just like my older rooster. and about killed the little one the little one got beat by the eye by the bigger chick and looked like a swolen eye

 

[makluvsanimals]

first night together went awsome everyone is safe and good

 

[cortner1195]

We have had a stressful couple of days at the coop. We still have three seperate groups. Last night, during free range time, someone attacked one of the rescue pullets. She was just starting to regrow feathers on her back. I come along on the mower to discover feathers everywhere. Easily identifiable as the BLR Wyandotte that I rescued. Sure enough I find her and her three teammates back in their segregated portion of the main coop. Her back is plucked. So sad. She is such a victim. We sprayed the backs of all three with blue kote.

Then a tough decision. They have been here three weeks, and still are nowhere near ready to mix in. Tonight we waited till dark. Removed the segregation screen, then performed a big switch. My nine 15 week old pullets went from the grow out pen, into the main coop with the three hens. The three rescues went to the grow out pen. They will have more room, a larger feeder, their own outdoor run, and more water. I didn't want to combine the nine pullets with the adults, as that will make integrating the rescues that much harder. Now, if all goes well tonight, and in the morning when they wake up, we will have only two groups of chickens to care for. If need be, the rescues can stay in the grow out pen indefinitely.

It took a long time to get everyone settled tonight. So much distress. I really hope to not have to do this again for a long time.

 

[cortner1195]

I got up at 5:30 and decided to see how things were going in the main coop. The three adult hens have the area around the water and flock block as a strong hold. No one can go past without being pecked. The nine pullets are hiding under the coop. One peaks out only to be attacked immediately. I hope this sells down quickly!

On the upside, the three rescue pullets are in heaven with the whole grow out pen to explore.

 

[LaLa Chickie]

I got up at 5:30 and decided to see how things were going in the main coop. The three adult hens have the area around the water and flock block as a strong hold. No one can go past without being pecked. The nine pullets are hiding under the coop. One peaks out only to be attacked immediately. I hope this sells down quickly!

On the upside, the three rescue pullets are in heaven with the whole grow out pen to explore.

OH, God! I remember going through this with just 7 hens...well, the culprit has since disappeared as we let her have her way outside sleeping in the Magnolia tree, she was too mean to the younger ones and they were now 8 months. Anyways, everyone is happy now that she's gone. No more baby gates. I wished I could have merged them much earlier, but she just tormented everyone. Much better now. Hope yours are all well now.

 

[cortner1195]

Things are looking much better today. Less tormented squawking coming from the coop.

I had to go in last night and pick three of them up and put them on roosts. Then one of the hens started leaning off her perch to peck at a pullet. I picked her up and put her back on the end with her buddies. Once everyone was in place, silence descended immediately. I went to check on the the rescues. One last look in the main coop. One of the pullets had been by herself, had more been joined by her buddy. Everyone had a cuddle for the night.

This morning all three hens laid eggs. They must feel better as no one laid an egg yesterday.

 

[DeesHens]

I know it is very stressful during merges for me too. I hope I never need to do it again with all the extra work involved. It was so time consuming.
Really is super about the eggs! It is very special to me that you rescued the three pullets. My hat is off to you.

~Dee~

 

[cortner1195]

The hens are 18 months old now, and experienced layers. I think they were stressed yesterday, trying to bully the pullets. Tonight everyone found their own roost. All is calm in the main coop. I think we are through the worst of this merger. Now, we still face how to get the the rescues integrated. Here is a pic of my 15 1/2week rescue BLRWyandottes, and one Splash Wyandotte.