Adding new chickens to my little flock

[jmcd]

Hi there,

I have 4 two year old chickens that we have had since they were chicks. We have plenty of room to add a few more. I am thinking of getting a couple "teenagers" to add to the flock. What is the best way to do this? I was thinking to put them in an area next to the existing coop so they could see each other for a few days and then just put them in together. A friend told me that's not necessary and another told me to add them when everyone has gone to bed and they will wake up together and be fine, which seems like a funny suggestion. One of my existing chickens is a bit of a bully also.

 

[Pork Pie]

Aart integration text

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/topic-of-the-week-adding-new-chickens-to-the-flock.1164542/

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-see-but-don-t-touch-method

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1098683/introducing-new-chickens-to-old-flock#post_16895615

 

[DesertBird]

All of the links Pork Pie sent are great!

As a quick reiteration from them with a bit of personal trial, I'd first say make sure to quarantine for 30 days on your new birds. Then, integrate when they're all roughly the same size - age isn't too much of a factor for chickens but size is. A good method is look but don't touch, which is when you let them be near each other with a fence in-between for a couple weeks or so. After that, you can try letting the new ones in with the old ones; they'll fight but only intervene if you see some blood spilling or think it's getting too bad. You could try doing it while they're all free ranging so it's not home turf for either bird as well, but it usually doesn't work to just put them in a coop together; it's more likely to end in bloody fights between your old ones and new ones when they wake up and see each other.

 

[Perris]

don't forget to quarantine before introducing! More than a few days is generally recommended, as the newbies may be incubating something not apparent until they're really ill.

 

[aart]

I am thinking of getting a couple "teenagers" to add to the flock. What is the best way to do this? I was thinking to put them in an area next to the existing coop so they could see each other for a few days and then just put them in together. A friend told me that's not necessary and another told me to add them when everyone has gone to bed and they will wake up together and be fine, which seems like a funny suggestion. One of my existing chickens is a bit of a bully also.

It'll take more than a few days....adding them at night can work, but often does not.


Consider biological/medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
BYC 'quarantine' search

Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

 

[andreanar]

Ive found the easiest way for me to add to my flock, is when one goes broody to let her hatch. I have gone thru hell and back with my mean girls not willing to accept newbies even after months and months of look but don't touch approach.
Broody babies are immediately accepted in my flock without issue.

 

[Mrs. K]

There is a difference between broody chicks raised in the flock and strangers added.

A lot depends on your set up - how much room do you have? And adding more birds is much easier than adding just one or two. The more chicks you add, the less pecking each chick takes.

What does your run/coop look like? Do you have hideouts? Do you have multi levels? Roosts or platforms that birds can get under or on top of, these all help.

I have had better luck adding chicks or point of lay hens, vs adding teen agers. With chicks, you can set up a safety zone, where the chicks can escape too, and the big girls can't get into. With point of lay birds, they are full size and tend to give as good as they get.

Send some pictures and we can help better.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How much room do you have,in the coop and in the run? To me, the most important issue with integration is how much room you have. If space is tight you are much more likely to have problems than of you have plenty of room. You will read a lot about integration issues on here. Quite often integration goes extremely smoothly, you wonder what all the fuss was about but sometimes it is a disaster. There are other factors involved but to me room is critical.

Adding them at night can sometimes work, especially if your coop is big enough or laid out in a way that the new ones can get away from the old. For example, the teenagers may all be on the roosts while the adults are on the coop floor after they wake up. If I tried that I'd be down there at the crack of dawn to make sure there were no issues.

A lot of us do this type of thing all the time, often without issues. This doesn't have to be horrible or even that hard. There are different techniques you can use to make it more likely you will not have issues. If you can tell us what you have to work with maybe we can give you some specific suggestions for adding two pullets to four hens. Size in feet or meters of the coop and run and maybe some photos showing how they are tied together and maybe inside the coop to show layout.