Am I doing this right?!

[jslater14]

I am currently trying to merge 6 little girls with 3 big girls. We have made it through sharing a separated run to now sharing a run with no separation and all is mostly well. Last week we started putting a dog cage in the coop and putting the little girls in there. 2 of my girls seemed fine but my bully was trying to peck them through the dog pen.

The last few nights, I’ve removed the bully and put the little girls in the coop with the other 2 big girls. There were a few pecks to start but they’ve managed to all behave through the night.

When do I reintroduce the bully at night? Not going to lie, this is a very time-consuming and frustrating process. We are supposed to go out of town July 6 and I’m nervous they wont be able to manage at night without me there. I currently have to physically put the little girls on the roost.

Am i doing all this right?!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Photos of the coop, specifically the roost area? How old are the younger birds?

 

[jslater14]

Photos of the coop, specifically the roost area? How old are the younger birds?

The younger girls are about 11 weeks

 

[aart]

The younger girls are about 11 weeks

How big is that...in feet by feet?
Gonna guess maybe 4' x 4'?
How did you fit a dog crate in there?

 

[jslater14]

How big is that...in feet by feet?
Gonna guess maybe 4' x 4'?
How did you fit a dog crate in there?

Yes it’s about 4x4. We have a door on the side that opens to the nesting boxes. It for a medium size dog crate with a little room to spare

 

[nuthatched]

Can you add more ventilation and windows?

 

[aart]

Yes it’s about 4x4.

That's pretty small for 9 birds, especially small for integrating.
....and the nests are taking up some of that already small space.
The one roost looks too close to the wall, take your tape measure out and check your measurements.

How big is the run and what does it look like?
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[jslater14]

That's pretty small for 9 birds, especially small for integrating.
....and the nests are taking up some of that already small space.
The one roost looks too close to the wall, take your tape measure out and check your measurements.

How big is the run and what does it look like?
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 3858425

Yeaaaaa…. We have realized now that we are needing a bigger coop. We will have about 4 large breed birds and 5 medium breed birds, so maybe a 4x7 or 4x8??

Here are pics of the run. The cage is temporary. It just gives the little girls a place to eat that the big girls can’t get in. They free range every day for at least an hour. I’m in Charlotte NC.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Add some obstacles to your run - tree limbs, stumps, old wooden chairs, etc. Make it so there is no area to get stuck in. The coop is small, but at least you have a good sized run area. Integration takes time. Is the "bully" doing damage or just pestering?

 

[jslater14]

Add some obstacles to your run - tree limbs, stumps, old wooden chairs, etc. Make it so there is no area to get stuck in. The coop is small, but at least you have a good sized run area. Integration takes time. Is the "bully" doing damage or just pestering?

I have a few obstacles but can add more. I would say she’s just pestering for the most part. Sometimes she leaves them alone and then randomly she will get this crazy eye look and chase them. But only a peck or 2. I don’t think any of them have gotten hurt or injured.

Night time is a little more tricky. For about 5 nights now the bully sleeps in a crate in the shed. The other 2 big girls seem to be accepting them. They try to peck the little girls while they are getting on the roost but shockingly, me yelling at them gets them to stop. Not sure how it’s going to go when the bully is reintroduced for the night. We are planning to build the bigger coop this weekend so hopefully that helps