Introducing 5 kittens to barn with alpha male

I want to put 5 4-mo. old kittens at the barn but are very afraid our big alpha male will run them off or kill them. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve never had experience with barn cats before and perhaps they will learn to get along but I hate to take chances. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m not a person that believes whole-heartedly in holistic remedies but Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve used Bach flower essences on one of our horses and it seemed to help! I thought I would use another Bach flower remedy on this male cat called “Bully Remedy†to try to ease them into “his†barn. Does anyone have any other suggestions as to how best to accomplish this transition without the kittens being hurt or run off?

Is this male neutered? If not, get him done. You might want to confine the new kittens to a large cage for awhile so they get used to the smells and the other cats can check them out.

I would not introduce them to the barn till all are neutered and spayed.

I have had the same problem with introducing kittens to a barn with established barn cats. What I did was I got the kittens all setup with food, water and a litter box in a closed room, in my case the tack room, and after leaving them in there for a few weeks I slowly started letting them out while I was there to supervise. There was a bit of fighting at the first face to face meeting but I think the fact that the older cats had smelled the kittens in the barn for several weeks already helped.

I also have used Bach flower remedies including "Bully remedy" and I do believe that they work so maybe try that.

I don't know if you have a place to keep the kittens seperate but if you do I would definately keep them there for at least a few weeks. Even if the cats don't beat them up, barns aren't the safest place for inexperienced kittens to be running loose at first. If they get chased outside anything can get them, cars, coyotes, skunks, hawks, fox, people, etc....

I hope this helped!!

Thanks to both responders for the info...I do think it helps. For the last 4 nights I have been leaving them in the tack room at night and bringing them back down to the screened in porch during the day, which has been home since they were born, so they can have more space and get some exercise. I know our big male, who is neutered by the way, knows they are in there. I was considering having him meet them on the screened porch (their territory) with me there the whole time as another way of getting to know them. I'm not sure if moving them around every day is the right way to do it either but our tack room is so small and filled with tack and there ARE 5 OF THEM. They are being neutered themselves within the next 2 weeks. They can stay in the tack room that whole time while they recover. I'm afraid if I let them out in the barn I'll not recover them all as there are so many places to hide. I'll be trying the Bully Remedy as well. I'm still open to any other suggestions from anyone with experience with this.

I would leave them in the screened porch until after they are neutered and healed. Then I would move them to the barn into the tack for a day or two and right into the barn with your supervision. I would also maybe try bringing the big male to the porch and do the first face to face meeting there! I am glad you are going to try the Bully remedy. I hope it all goes well!