Will they ever accept the new chickens?

[Ashmt51]

I have 11 new egg layers 7-8 weeks old and 8-8 week old meat chickens that I have added to the coop. My existing 18 week old flock has been free ranging with them for about 2 weeks and I had to add the babies a little earlier than I intending due to needing their shed for my ducks who housing unexpectedly broke. Will the others eventually let the babies out of the coop? It seems they rather stay inside the coop away from the older ones who bully them. I have them food and water inside for now.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

It will take awhile. The full grown flock (18 week olds) has already set up a pecking order and completely view the small 7/8 week olds as intruders to be hazed.

Generally it is best to keep the flocks separated by a fence until the smaller ones are a bit older, but if there is plenty of room to escape and feeders and waterers spaced well (which you indicate you have), the poor littles will be on the run or huddled a lot....for awhile.

Typically I see the batch of littles grow into a sub-flock that doesn't integrate until they are adult size. In time, then, after the battles for the nest boxes (so have plenty of those), you will see a general integration.

But it takes time when you integrate 2 separate flocks of greatly varied ages.

LofMc

 

[RobertaD1]

Keep your eyes open for bullies, and separate if needed...and make lots of space for them to hide. They will be fine. It just takes time.I let my chickens together when there were 3 different groups of ages...4 weeks..... 12 weeks..... and 3 yr olds. That was well over a month ago, and the middle group still chases the littles in the coop sometimes. BUT, they are allowing them out more and more. The 3 yr olds are MUCH more tolerant of the babies being around, and will reprimand the "teenagers" if they are too rough. They will sort it out.... but the littles are definitely lowest on the pecking order.

 

[Ashmt51]

I have some fencing I can put up in coop if needed so they can see but not touch each other. I’ll watch tomorrow and see how it’s going. I put places for them to hide under all over so they can get away if needed.

 

[Ashmt51]

We

It will take awhile. The full grown flock (18 week olds) has already set up a pecking order and completely view the small 7/8 week olds as intruders to be hazed.

Generally it is best to keep the flocks separated by a fence until the smaller ones are a bit older, but if there is plenty of room to escape and feeders and waterers spaced well (which you indicate you have), the poor littles will be on the run or huddled a lot....for awhile.

Typically I see the batch of littles grow into a sub-flock that doesn't integrate until they are adult size. In time, then, after the battles for the nest boxes (so have plenty of those), you will see a general integration.

But it takes time when you integrate 2 separate flocks of greatly varied ages.

LofMc

For the 9 18 weekers we currently have 6 nesting boxes (7 if you include a spot one of my girls has created for herself behind the coop rake on the floor ) there is plenty of roosts for them as well. I also put some of my husbands saw horses in the other corners for them to hide under since it creates a little cover if they need to hide. I feel so bad having to throw them in there the way we did but a tree fell on the duck house and they needed the housing. I have a metal shed that still needs to be put together maybe this weekend so if needed they can have their own housing again soon.

 

[Pghelp]

I'm in the process of integrating young ones with my established hens. What has worked for us is using 2 small coops. We latch the door for the youngsters so the gap is narrow enough for them to get in or out but not big enough for the adult hens. We started introducing at 7 weeks. They're now 13 weeks and they still choose to retreat to their coop when they get tired of being chased around. Effectively we have 2 flocks, the big girls and the littles. As Lady of McCamley says above they'll integrate more when the young ones are old enough to lay and big enough to establish themselves in the pecking order. We see allegiances changing every day as the littles get older.

 

[Mrs. K]

I am questioning what you mean by meat birds. If the slow growing birds, not a problem.
But if the cornish cross birds, they are feed hogs. Then the young egg layers are going to be in competition with both the older birds, and the meat birds.

I like my meat birds in a separate set up. If you can't do that, DO HAVE multiple feed places, set up so that birds at one station cannot see birds at another station.

Mrs K

 

[Ashmt51]

Keep your eyes open for bullies, and separate if needed...and make lots of space for them to hide. They will be fine. It just takes time.I let my chickens together when there were 3 different groups of ages...4 weeks..... 12 weeks..... and 3 yr olds. That was well over a month ago, and the middle group still chases the littles in the coop sometimes. BUT, they are allowing them out more and more. The 3 yr olds are MUCH more tolerant of the babies being around, and will reprimand the "teenagers" if they are too rough. They will sort it out.... but the littles are definitely lowest on the pecking order.

I do have one I noticed that is more tolerant of the little ones than the others . She just started laying but today she did spend most of the day in her favorite spot and she regulated one of the roosters who was dancing around the babies.

I am questioning what you mean by meat birds. If the slow growing birds, not a problem.
But if the cornish cross birds, they are feed hogs. Then the young egg layers are going to be in competition with both the older birds, and the meat birds.

I like my meat birds in a separate set up. If you can't do that, DO HAVE multiple feed places, set up so that birds at one station cannot see birds at another station.

Mrs K

My Cornish crosses and EE chicks have been together since I got them from the hatchery and I haven’t had a problem. They all get food and water. They started to venture out of the coop with the others today. The CC will be processed soon anyway.