Adding a new hen to my 3 5 month old hens

Hens of La Mesa

In the Brooder
Sep 24, 2015
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We had 4 chickens since they were 3 weeks old. One finally started crowing so we had to get rid of him :( We were all sad to see him go!

We wanted to add a new hen to our flock and found one we like but she is 1yr old. Will introducing an older 1yr old hen to a 3 5 month old hens pose any issues? Will the older new hen be mean?

Just wanted to make sure it was ok since most people add younger hens to their existing flock.

Appreciate it!
 
The general rule is to introduce like numbers and like sizes. Since the younger ones are more numerous (and it is THEIR home) the lone bird should be in more danger from the current residents.
Most people that add younger birds, especially lesser numbers usually have the worst go of it.
 
That makes good sense. So it seems to be better to introduce an older hen since it probably can stand for itself better.

Also does age dictate the pecking order?
 
Right.
However, nothing can predict pecking order. Sometimes a bantam will rule the roost with all LF breeds.
It's like type A personalities in humans. What predicts those?
idunno.gif
 

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