Need help with introducing new pullets

[Ridgerunner]

The pullets are around 21 weeks old now and are all laying, they are almost the same size as the older flock.

Size doesn't matter, maturity and personality do. There are plenty of flocks where mature bantams dominate mature full sized fowl.

Since they are laying you can consider them mature. If they were immature they need to mature enough to force their way into the pecking order so it generally takes longer but is often less violent when they finally mature. With mature hens it can be a bit violent but is usually over pretty quickly. I think you'll be better off letting them work it out. Pay attention and be ready to intercede if it gets too rough but it usually works out.

In order to let the new ones free range there as well, they have to cross through 'enemy lines ' to reach the entrance to the field.
I can't move the coop as there isn't space anywhere else, so they have to be integrated to have more room to forage.

I think you are worrying way too much. Give them a chance to work it out, they probably will pretty quickly. You'll probably find that this is not an issue at all. initially if you open it up and let them work on it, I'd expect the older ones to go out as normal and the younger to hang back. That happens when no older ones are involved. But eventually they'll figure it out.

That doesn't mean you don't pay attention, you do. Your probable time of greatest risk is bedtime. Two things could go wrong. If they have to pass through that territory to go to bed the older may bully them so they can't. I put this at a pretty low probability but it's possible. If it is a problem they'll probably wait until the older go to bed so they can get through.

Of more risk is that they get lost. They will know where their coop is and where they want to sleep, but they may be so desperate to get there they forget all about that gate they have been using all day and just go up to fence and they can't get through. I'd be out there at bedtime the first couple of nights to be sure they are OK.

 

[Mid Wales chicken keeper]

Size doesn't matter, maturity and personality do. There are plenty of flocks where mature bantams dominate mature full sized fowl.

Since they are laying you can consider them mature. If they were immature they need to mature enough to force their way into the pecking order so it generally takes longer but is often less violent when they finally mature. With mature hens it can be a bit violent but is usually over pretty quickly. I think you'll be better off letting them work it out. Pay attention and be ready to intercede if it gets too rough but it usually works out.


I think you are worrying way too much. Give them a chance to work it out, they probably will pretty quickly. You'll probably find that this is not an issue at all. initially if you open it up and let them work on it, I'd expect the older ones to go out as normal and the younger to hang back. That happens when no older ones are involved. But eventually they'll figure it out.

That doesn't mean you don't pay attention, you do. Your probable time of greatest risk is bedtime. Two things could go wrong. If they have to pass through that territory to go to bed the older may bully them so they can't. I put this at a pretty low probability but it's possible. If it is a problem they'll probably wait until the older go to bed so they can get through.

Of more risk is that they get lost. They will know where their coop is and where they want to sleep, but they may be so desperate to get there they forget all about that gate they have been using all day and just go up to fence and they can't get through. I'd be out there at bedtime the first couple of nights to be sure they are OK.

Thank you Ridgerunner for your great advice and reassurance, I've had a word with farmer, we can put up temporary fencing (40' x 20') so they don't wander to far until the pecking order is sorted. We always herd the older ones in before sunset so it's no issue to do the same with all of them.

 

[Mid Wales chicken keeper]

No fencing and no catching is required to get chickens back home at night or any time you wish. They are so easily conditioned to come to you upon hearing a cue. I use a dog training clicker but any noise signal will work.

All you have to do is to toss some treats while activating your noise cue. Repeat it several times and very soon the chickens will come running when they hear the signal. Reward them every time they come to the clicker, even after they are well trained and that keeps reinforcing the training.

Not long after I trained my chickens with a clicker, I noticed a coyote but the chickens hadn't. I clicked the clicker and all of the chickens were back in the run in less than a minute.

Thanks a lot azygous, the older ones are trained to the call "chop chop" (nothing to do with butchering, honest)
It just sounds like the noise they make when calling to each other.
The new ones not so much, but will re-enforce with them over the next day or so - fingers crossed