First time integrating pullets into flock

[Muser]

I have an 11 month old production red rooster, and 3 11 month old hens (1 copper maran mix and 2 legbars) currently and have ordered two 4 month old pullets (Salmon faverolle and an Orp/Brahma Cross) to join the gang. What's the best way to integrate these girlie's with the least amount of stress to everyone? I have a separate coop I could put in the run to allow the birds to see each other first. Anyone got any good integrating techniques to share to help the process be smooth? thanks!

 

[Acre4Me]

Good luck. Yes, extra coop great for see and don’t touch. Do this for 2 weeks, at least. Then, open up extra coop for a bit of integration…while you are there and watching. Do this for 3-7 days (depending on how it goes), keep watch during this phase. Next, put new girls out and into run for a few hours, can’t get into their old coop. Let them back in after a few hours. A few days may suffice. After this, all day integration, your choice to put them in coop at night or see if they go in all by themselves.

I’ve had SF before, from 3 sources, they don’t defend themselves. They sit and take the pecking order stuff that is dished out. Beautiful birds, but not a good fit for my mixed flock.

I’ve had Marans before, they tend to be assertive, might cause problems.

Put up a couple roosts in the run, this allows birds to get away from each other.

Have two feed and water stations, bc low ranking/new birds can be bullied away from food water, and eventually get sick and die. Pecking order is very much a real thing.

We’ve never integrated older birds, but have integrated hundreds of chicks. They get see/no touch until about 4 or 5 weeks. Then we raise up the covered portable fence we use, and put garden stakes around it to create a barrier to the hens. This way the chicks can go in/out at will to a protected area, but hens cannot. It takes time, and some years we have a real bully or two in the batch of hens, so we have to keep a good watch out for any bullying. One year was terrible, we put up several roosts in the run, which helped immensely. Chicks could get up and away from the hens. Roosts are only about 2 ft off the ground.

 

[Muser]

Good luck. Yes, extra coop great for see and don’t touch. Do this for 2 weeks, at least. Then, open up extra coop for a bit of integration…while you are there and watching. Do this for 3-7 days (depending on how it goes), keep watch during this phase. Next, put new girls out and into run for a few hours, can’t get into their old coop. Let them back in after a few hours. A few days may suffice. After this, all day integration, your choice to put them in coop at night or see if they go in all by themselves.

I’ve had SF before, from 3 sources, they don’t defend themselves. They sit and take the pecking order stuff that is dished out. Beautiful birds, but not a good fit for my mixed flock.

I’ve had Marans before, they tend to be assertive, might cause problems.

Put up a couple roosts in the run, this allows birds to get away from each other.

Have two feed and water stations, bc low ranking/new birds can be bullied away from food water, and eventually get sick and die. Pecking order is very much a real thing.

We’ve never integrated older birds, but have integrated hundreds of chicks. They get see/no touch until about 4 or 5 weeks. Then we raise up the covered portable fence we use, and put garden stakes around it to create a barrier to the hens. This way the chicks can go in/out at will to a protected area, but hens cannot. It takes time, and some years we have a real bully or two in the batch of hens, so we have to keep a good watch out for any bullying. One year was terrible, we put up several roosts in the run, which helped immensely. Chicks could get up and away from the hens. Roosts are only about 2 ft off the ground.

In your experience, does having a rooster help with the process of integration into the flock?

 

[aart]

Anyone got any good integrating techniques to share to help the process be smooth?

Space...lots and lots of space....both in coop and run.

Consider biological/medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article

Here's some tips about....
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.

Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Acre4Me]

In your experience, does having a rooster help with the process of integration into the flock?

It really depends. Some roosters may actively demand submission immediately. Some are mean, some are much more “personable”. He is the leader right now and if he’s good to your girls now, hopefully he’s good overall. You may find him pacing the fence line bc he wants to mate them, bc he’s the leader. But the 2+ weeks of see/no touch will help. You’ll find out how he will be to them when they can interact without a fence, so it’s important to keep watch.