Free ranging separate flocks, together

[centrarchid]

Something different within my quarantine flock is it has two groups of siblings and three single birds (all juvenile as in between 5 and 20 weeks). I have five pens for those five "groups". One individual has strong preference for a particular pen while the other are less particular. What appears to be reality is the sequence the pens are filled is determined which highest ranking group / bird is close to me at time I toss a little feed into pen. The highest ranking individual or group goes in displacing outsiders and I then close pen to repeat process at another pen with next highest ranking group / individual. This pattern breaks down if a higher ranking group / individual is of off foraging on the other side of house.

 

[archeryrob]

Yes there is cocks abounding here. One dark brahma in the layers and 4 cockerels in the cornish to be trimmed later.

They stay seperate for the most part. I had tomotes out and the cornish were in one and a brahma hen came into investigate. One cornish Roo tried to intimidate her and she jumped right on him, he took off and she and the other cornish went back to eating together.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Although a guineafowl is of course a totally different species than a chicken, my experience with my guineas and chickens both free ranging together mirrors centrachid’s multiple chicken flocks. The two groups of mine (chicken and guinea) are very much imprinted on their roosts in their respective coops and the two never attempt to roost together. The two coops are separated by about 100 yards, yet even if the guineas are eating with the chickens right at dark outside the chicken coop, the guineas will break it off and trot back to their own roost on their own initiative when its getting too dark to see. They don’t even try to roost in the trees near the chicken coop.

 

[ValerieJ]

The layers are a mix of Brahma, RIR and leghorns with a buff bantam Brahma thrown in. Mine are Dark Cornish and will be for meat chicken eggs. They can integrate all they want normally, but when I want eggs to incubate for meat chicks the Cornish will get locked down separately. I don't mind unsupervising them 4 -7 at night but getting near dark I get antsy knowing foxes move more.

They don't seem to mind being near each other when out. They all hate being in the wrong pen except one brahma hen that likes to go into a roost with the cornish. She's been fairly much a loner in the other coop. When they get in the the wrong pen they run up and down the fence trying to figure out how to get on the other side.

I waited until 7:45 and the cornish went to roost. Then I could lock their run and get the layers in without incident.

Seems to me that an opening between the runs is the solution for you. They will self segregate when bed time comes. Then lock down when you want specific fertilized eggs.

 

[GC-Raptor]

When they get in the the wrong pen they run up and down the fence trying to figure out how to get on the other side.

Sounds like a pop door and a human size door would be a good idea. GC