Hi everyone!
Hope you are all having a wonderful week!
Okay yesterday we tried to merge our two chicken flocks…..we have an older chicken flock of 3 good layers, a Rhode Island Red, a Buff Orpington, and a Barred Rock. 
- My Husband trying to help With The Big Feud – Behind him is our Chicken Coop Made From Pallets and Recycled Metal
We have a younger flock we recently purchased from a local Backyard Chicken Keeper and we got 2 Black Stars, and 2 Americauna’s! Well the merger did not go very well I must say. At first they were mingling and we thought all was well and then the four younger chickens are now staying up in their roost and I am having to let the other three free range.
At first I thought it was just the Barred Rock but I now know after separating her out that the other two are following suit. My husband is going to put the chicken wire up again today and will let the younger chickens grow up a bit more. We did make sure they were separated for 45 days and could get used to each other through the wire but that did not seem to help. We are going to separate them for another 30 days and see if that helps and we will try again. Surely they have to find some common ground….literally.
Fondly,
This may be a little late to help you but, I talked to our Extension Chicken Specialist about a problem we had with one chicken getting along with the rest. He suggested that we put them together at night until they get use to each other. We have done this on several occasions since then and it is a great way to get chickens use to each other. Put them together at dusk and separate them at dawn for a few weeks. It is a lit bit of trouble to do this but it has worked out really well for us. Even though they see each other through the fence they aren’t sharing common quarters with each other and to just put them together doesn’t work. They gradually get use to each other and don’t tend to fight in the dark.
Hope this helps,
Mae
Mae I had heard that but did not have the courage to try this yet but I had not thought about putting them together at dusk and then separating them at dawn what a great idea! Ours also see each other through the fence but don’t share common quarters either. Thanks so much for stopping by our Lil’ Suburban Homestead and I will have to check out your blog as well!