I've been doing a slow integration between 3 laying 6mo old Hens and 2 pullets 12weeks. Thankfully I have chain link run pieces that I used to split my run in half. I used an old greenhouse for the newbies so I have 2 complete coop/run set ups. So the see no touch period was about 3 weeks. Then after the layers lay eggs and I let them out to range (2acres,) for the rest of the day, I also open up a smallish opening for the littles to have full run of both runs and they can free range.
It's going really well this way. The littles decided to start roosting in the big's house instead of theirs about 4 nights ago. But I have 2 questions/concerns... When the little's start out on a roost bar and then when they get pecked they get into a nest box and sleep there instead of just going to a lower bar (there is plenty of roost space to be able to stay away from bigs's.) So question 1) should I just let that happen and wait for them to quit taking up refuge in the nest box - ? and 2) because I lock feed up at night, in the morning I've been putting a feeder in each run and not having them eat together because that is still a rough time. Is that bad, should I just force eating in the same area? I've noticed one of the big's really wanting into the littles side to get their feed instead of going to her own feeder. Ahhhh chicken psychology, it's quite the science. Any advice is very much appreciated. I can also post pics...
It's going really well this way. The littles decided to start roosting in the big's house instead of theirs about 4 nights ago. But I have 2 questions/concerns... When the little's start out on a roost bar and then when they get pecked they get into a nest box and sleep there instead of just going to a lower bar (there is plenty of roost space to be able to stay away from bigs's.) So question 1) should I just let that happen and wait for them to quit taking up refuge in the nest box - ? and 2) because I lock feed up at night, in the morning I've been putting a feeder in each run and not having them eat together because that is still a rough time. Is that bad, should I just force eating in the same area? I've noticed one of the big's really wanting into the littles side to get their feed instead of going to her own feeder. Ahhhh chicken psychology, it's quite the science. Any advice is very much appreciated. I can also post pics...