When to integrate flocks?

[tweetzone86]

I have 14 barred rock pullets, 3 silver-laced wyandotte pullets (had six sadly one went missing and two died not sure if it was from heat or BR pullets they do seem to bully the SLW and the two dead ones had definitely been pecked at and were bloody-I got really sick and hubby had forgotten to feed them for several days it was scarring, to say the least, and will never happen again), a New Hampshire red pullet (she was supposed to be a roo but it's ok because the other one is a roo for sure), and a NHR cockerel. These guys are about 12 weeks and pretty good size, considering.

I also have 9 two year old Rhode Island Red hens. The new flock is going to replace them, but since I'm still getting 4-5 eggs a day from them and others aren't laying yet, they'll be allowed to stick around at least til all the others are laying.

Taking care of two flocks is a bit of a pain, as I have one 8x12 barn/shed for RIRs, and a 100 sq ft run for them. We also literally cobbled together using scraps a 10x10 shed (the ugliest shed you'll ever see-not going to be permanent we plan on improving it before winter but chicks outgrew brooder so had to do something) for the chicks.

When can I integrate them? The barn shed is portable (the other one is post and beam so is not), so I could see if our friend can bring a car trailer over with a winch and bolt rings around the base as hooks to move it next to the other one, and take my run (it's four 10' chain link panels so not actually in the ground, just the barn makes a 5th side) and spread it in front of both (10x20, basically, with sheds/coops making up fourth side).

I don't think 28 dual-purpose chickens can fit in the 10x10 coop, right? Even with a 100 sq ft run? We do plan on expanding the run before winter as well, using 7' t-posts with wood corner posts and hardware cloth. Chickens are locked in coop at night due to coyotes, but they don't typically come around during the daytime. Meaning we will have to utilize both coops?

Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

You really could've integrated them several weeks ago if you were set up for it, but it sounds like you got a little overwhelmed.

Can the two flocks see each other right now? That's the first step, letting them see but not touch each other.

100 sq ft run is big enough for 10 birds max, and that's pushing it. You're going to need to free range if you can't expand the run by at least 3x, if not more. Integration favors more space, to allow for the addition of clutter to provide hiding spaces, and just so the younger birds have room to run away if needed.

The coop might be a little tight but certainly not impossible to put 28 birds in a 10x10 coop once they're integrated.

 

[tweetzone86]

You really could've integrated them several weeks ago if you were set up for it, but it sounds like you got a little overwhelmed.

Can the two flocks see each other right now? That's the first step, letting them see but not touch each other.

100 sq ft run is big enough for 10 birds max, and that's pushing it. You're going to need to free range if you can't expand the run by at least 3x, if not more. Integration favors more space, to allow for the addition of clutter to provide hiding spaces, and just so the younger birds have room to run away if needed.

The coop might be a little tight but certainly not impossible to put 28 birds in a 10x10 coop once they're integrated.

Unfortunately, we're building our house on our 5 acres (meaning there's still stray nails and such on the ground and we already lost one bird to two screws they swallowed (how they got down 2 1/2" long screws is a mystery to us all) and don't want to lose more the same way) and we don't have a perimeter fence on three sides, so free ranging isn't possible yet I worry they'll try to make friends with the neighbor's plumber (they're also building)

We are definitely going to expand the run for sure- just haven't gotten that far yet is all. We need to pick up the t-posts and construct the run, which will hopefully happen before the end of this month Also hoping to improve the 10x10 shed before winter (it's the sorriest-looking thing you've ever seen because it was scraps and hastily built, plus currently roof is flat and will need to slope it before winter).

 

[rosemarythyme]

We are definitely going to expand the run for sure- just haven't gotten that far yet is all. We need to pick up the t-posts and construct the run, which will hopefully happen before the end of this month Also hoping to improve the 10x10 shed before winter (it's the sorriest-looking thing you've ever seen because it was scraps and hastily built, plus currently roof is flat and will need to slope it before winter).

Thankfully chickens don't care what their housing looks like, as long as it keeps them dry and offers them protection.

Since you've already had the flocks separate for this long, I'd work on expanding the run first, then begin integration. Or rather, if you can house them in sight of the adults in that period (since you mentioned a moveable coop), that'd help start the ball rolling, and then once the run is installed you can start thinking about actually letting them meet face to face.

 

[tweetzone86]

Bbbbbuuuuuttttt....I care?

On a more practical note, it's not "winter worthy" for an area that gets quite a bit of snow It needs to be fortified better to withstand our 50 psf snow load. It'll work til the snow flies, and by then we hope to have something better set up for them.

Good ideas I will definitely take them under consideration. First we gotta figure out how to move that barn shed...