What is the best way to divide chickens into 2 flocks?

[Etorb1]

So I started with chickens last year. I have 11 hens (brahmas, ISA brown, and easter eggers) and 1 brahma roo. They have a coop that is just big enough for them and free range during the day. This March, I bought 3 polish, 2 silkie, 1 brahma, and 1 wynadotte chick. I had planned on making a separate coop for this new flock. Well it turns out of the new chicks all but 1 of the Silkies is male. I feel bad keeping her in with all these males once they start to mature. What would be the best way to divide up these chickens? Should I move the silkie female in with the older hens and 1 roo? Or, move the Wynadotte and younger Brahma roo into the coop with the older hens to decrease the males in the second flock? Or would something else be better? I am in the process of building a second coop. For now the younger birds just have a covered area in the run. I let the birds free range during the day.

 

[3KillerBs]

So you have 12 females and 7 males?

 

[21hens-incharge]

I would think selling the young males would be a good idea.

Even if you separated the young males into a bachelor flock they would still see/hear the females and set to fighting.

 

[Mrs. K]

Yeah, this a wreck waiting to happen. A single bird being added to an established flock is one of the most difficult to do. It can be done, but not in a coop that is full to the max, and it will be harder with a silkie that is not a full size bird. Some people have success with silkies and polishes mixed in with a standard birds, some do not. Again the full coop is going to be working against you.

Free ranging those smaller breeds of birds are probably not going to be real successful, as they tend to be very prone to hawks. It will work until it doesn't.

I think I would stick to your original plan, in keeping the silkie hen and rooster separate. And eventually remove all of the other cockerels.

I do not see a solution to keeping all those roosters. However, you really don't need to separate them or cull them until you have a problem. But you do need to make a plan and have it set up and ready to go, such as a dog crate, whereas you can immediately separate a bird causing trouble, and then cull him by giving him away or dispatching him.

I do not see you successfully keeping all the roosters. Always solve for peace in the flock.

Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

3 months old. Life is about to get exciting as those boys start puberty. The only good thing I see is that they are free ranging together now.

What are your goals? What do you want to happen? Do you want to keep all those boys?

To me the simplest thing is to get rid of all the boys except one. Let him and that one pullet continue to free range with the others during the day but sleep separately at night. You may run into a problem between that cockerel and your mature rooster at some point. But that pullet needs company so I'd try to keep one boy. I don't think it matters which one. Finish the second coop and train the pullet and him to sleep in it at night and see if you can continue free ranging during the day. It might work out, it might not. There are several things that could go wrong with this.

If you want to keep al the boys build a third coop and run, a bachelor pad, and keep the boys in there by themselves. No girls. That often works but no free ranging. This still leaves that one pullet. It's possible after free ranging with the others for a while, maybe a long while, she will merge with the main flock and be accepted, but there is no guarantee. So try keeping one boy with her in the second coop and see what happens.

You can try bringing in a few girls the same age as that pullet and integrate them with her and maybe one cockerel. Hopefully your second coop will have a big enough run so you can do that. I don't know how you feel about biosecurity and quarantine, that might be an issue for you bringing in older chickens. Very few places even try to sex bantams so if you get more chicks you run the risk of getting more males.

You can keep going the way you are and see what happens. Sometimes these things work out in ways different than expected. Since they free range the boys may not fight that much among themselves. They may leave the older hens alone so there is not that much conflict between them and that mature rooster. But I think you need to be ready to isolate one of more boys or that pullet on a moment's notice.

 

[Etorb1]

So you have 12 females and 7 males?

yes that is correct.

 

[Etorb1]

3 months old. Life is about to get exciting as those boys start puberty. The only good thing I see is that they are free ranging together now.

What are your goals? What do you want to happen? Do you want to keep all those boys?

To me the simplest thing is to get rid of all the boys except one. Let him and that one pullet continue to free range with the others during the day but sleep separately at night. You may run into a problem between that cockerel and your mature rooster at some point. But that pullet needs company so I'd try to keep one boy. I don't think it matters which one. Finish the second coop and train the pullet and him to sleep in it at night and see if you can continue free ranging during the day. It might work out, it might not. There are several things that could go wrong with this.

If you want to keep al the boys build a third coop and run, a bachelor pad, and keep the boys in there by themselves. No girls. That often works but no free ranging. This still leaves that one pullet. It's possible after free ranging with the others for a while, maybe a long while, she will merge with the main flock and be accepted, but there is no guarantee. So try keeping one boy with her in the second coop and see what happens.

You can try bringing in a few girls the same age as that pullet and integrate them with her and maybe one cockerel. Hopefully your second coop will have a big enough run so you can do that. I don't know how you feel about biosecurity and quarantine, that might be an issue for you bringing in older chickens. Very few places even try to sex bantams so if you get more chicks you run the risk of getting more males.

You can keep going the way you are and see what happens. Sometimes these things work out in ways different than expected. Since they free range the boys may not fight that much among themselves. They may leave the older hens alone so there is not that much conflict between them and that mature rooster. But I think you need to be ready to isolate one of more boys or that pullet on a moment's notice.

My children wanted the silkies and Polish so it is going to be hard for me to get rid of them because the kids are attached. The Wynadotte and Brahma were purchased because TSC has a 4 chick minimum and I was gambling that they would be pullets. I am not too attached to them. They will be pretty so maybe I can find someone to take them. The Wynadotte if pretty skittish. The younger Brahma has already pecked my legs and feet several times.
I do have a chicken tractor that will be available in the next week for emergency use.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I do have a chicken tractor that will be available in the next week for emergency use.

It is an emergency way to many boys there

 

[3KillerBs]

yes that is correct.

This is a completely untenable ratio.

Yes, some people, usually experienced breeders who are willing to ruthlessly cull problem birds, do keep pairs and trios -- in separate pens. But 12 hens are appropriate for only 1 rooster. Even dividing the flock in half with 6 hens each for 2 roosters is likely to result in heavy "rooster wear" on the hens' backs.

Like all things chicken, this is not a guarantee, but it's far more likely than not.

@Ridgerunner's advice is sound.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

So I started with chickens last year. I have 11 hens (brahmas, ISA brown, and easter eggers) and 1 brahma roo. They have a coop that is just big enough for them and free range during the day. This March, I bought 3 polish, 2 silkie, 1 brahma, and 1 wynadotte chick. I had planned on making a separate coop for this new flock. Well it turns out of the new chicks all but 1 of the Silkies is male. I feel bad keeping her in with all these males once they start to mature. What would be the best way to divide up these chickens? Should I move the silkie female in with the older hens and 1 roo? Or, move the Wynadotte and younger Brahma roo into the coop with the older hens to decrease the males in the second flock? Or would something else be better? I am in the process of building a second coop. For now the younger birds just have a covered area in the run. I let the birds free range during the day.

This article may help you: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rooster-flock-thread.1221382/. I agree that, if you go this route, you should put a cockerel with the silkie pullet so she can integrate into the mixed flock. Also, you can free range the rooster flock on different days from your mixed flock.