Posted: 7/31/2010 5:43:14 AM EDT
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We had a problem with the chickens last night. I put two of this years birds in with the four layers from last year, and they killed them. I was told this could happen with chicks so we raised the chicks in another smaller coop, but it was getting to small for my liking, so I moved two over to the layer’s coop. Now the younger ones are not laying yet, but are about the same size. I was thinking they would be fine, I was wrong.
So the question is… How do you introduce the new birds into the big coop? I only got six chicks this year and now I’m down to three. UPDATE We’ll I lost three of my good layers to the heat, and now only have one laying. I almost lost her also, but she’s coming back, I hope. Anyway, now that the big coop is empty, I’m going to clean it out real good and do some work to it. So now the question is, how long do they have to look at each other before they can be put in the same coop? I would like to get them all together as soon as I can, so I can get a few layers to replace all those lost last week and the new ones will have to use the small coop until they get to know each other. I don’t want to have build another coop. |
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Put them some way they they are close enough to see each other daily ( like 2 runs next to each other or divide off a section of run. ( Once they are of similer size)
You cant just throw them togather or the dominant birds already living in your set up will peck the crap out of them , pull their feathers etc. |
| Make sure they have plenty of room while they are being introduced. I also put them together after dark so they wake up in the same coop. It seems to work better than mixing them up during the day. There will be some hen pecking while they establish the pecking order no matter what you do, even if they are full size adults. |
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Thanks for the help. The small coop is movable so I’m going to set it next to the large coop now. I think I’ll leave the last three young ones in the small coop until they start to laying. My large coop is has about 4sq ft inside and about 10sq ft outside per bird with roosts in side and out, so I think I have the room for the new ones.
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Definately have them side by side for awhile. They have to see each other and get used to each other. Also like stated do the changing around at night while theyre tired and wont care as much. I had a couple chickens in my backyard coop, lost one, and put two more in and didnt have problems. That being said they were all from the same brood and had been raised together so there was some familiarity.
Good luck. Chickens can be a lot of fun. |