Getting new birds and a new house-how to manage?

ducks4you said:

If you have two flocks of hens, I would move the smaller flock in first, and then introduce one new hen a day from the larger flock and put them at a disadvantage.

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Are they though (at a disadvantage)? Even one "against" two, the little ones are still frightened of everyone and the "big girls" scare them (even if they aren't doing anything "mean"). I originally thought I'd put one big girl in with the new girls, but the big girl was so distressed at being separated from her "pack" that I just had to let her out. If they are stressed by having their whole life disordered, might that not cause them to fight, rather than just go "oh well, things are different now, better chill". I'd thought that food might get them all forgetting to chase, or run away, I put a box of veges in the run, but the new girls wouldn't go near the big girls. I'm not sure that they've got anything to be scared about, whether the big girls are really giving them stick or whether it is just them displaying their natural "prey-animal" bird behaviour. I think the big girls would have been more focussed on seeing what was there to fling about, rather than chasing people.....

It's fascinating, really, watching the interactions and behaviours. When you are (relatively) unfamiliar with them, you think chickens just wander about, pecking the ground, but there's a lot more going on there than one imagines.

AuroraJules said:

I'd let the new and old see each other for a couple of days, and they sort of pre establish dominance.

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The new girls moved in on 11 January. My backyard is big. Unless they are put together, they just don't seem to notice anybody else. There's been no "looking at each other through the fence" or anything, they've just ignored each other.

Guess I missed that you have that much of a difference between their ages. I wouldn't put them in together at ALL until the younger ones are much larger. I moved in my two Silver Laced Wyandottes at 5mo with the existing 5 EE layers with little problems. It should seem to YOU to be obvious that you have distressed animals and moving them in with older birds genuinely frightens them.
Don't care. I've done this for awhile and know what to do with chickens.
I don't need to be beaten up for expressing my opinions and experiences.
Do as you wish.

ducks4you said:

Guess I missed that you have that much of a difference between their ages. I wouldn't put them in together at ALL until the younger ones are much larger. I moved in my two Silver Laced Wyandottes at 5mo with the existing 5 EE layers with little problems. It should seem to YOU to be obvious that you have distressed animals and moving them in with older birds genuinely frightens them.
Don't care. I've done this for awhile and know what to do with chickens.
I don't need to be beaten up for expressing my opinions and experiences.
Do as you wish.

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If you are replying to potato chips last comments, I think you have been un-necessarily rude and intemperate.

She was expressing her concerns only - and in no way was it a 'beating up' on you.

You are obviously experienced with chickens ( and perhaps ducks !! ) ... but have obviously forgotten what it is like to be relatively new to raising breeding / laying birds of any kind.

Perhaps you might try remembering a bit more - eh ? ... and back off with the comments.

We also had this same dilemma last spring when we built a new house/run and brought home 7 new chicks and 2 turkey chicks (existing flock was 5 + 2 rescues still being integrated). When the new chicks got old enough to be out of the brooder we raise them in, I moved them into the new house that way they would have that as their new "territory" giving them the one up on the old girls. We left building the run for last, using the existing run to use for interaction. Previously the old girls were allowed to leave their run each day but during the introduction time we kept them contained to the run so everyone could interact through the fence. This gave the new chicks a chance to explore their new outdoor surroundings and find safe hiding places if needed. By the time we let everyone out together the old girls were so happy to be free again they largely ignored the newcomers. However it presented one problem, the old flock didn't want to give up their old house and nest boxes. I ended up having to close the door on them and help herd them towards the new house for a few nights until they got the idea. Now there was no way to completely prevent some squabbling and pecking order establishment but now everyone ranges together and shares to the new space quite well. We will continue to use the old coop for raising the new flock members each year. I definitely recommend using a fence to separate them in the beginning to prevent fighting until the newbies are close to the same size and can hold their own. Hope this helps

Thanks LotsoPets. At the moment I've got the 2 new girls in the new house with one of the bigger girls. She's not being "nice", but not overly aggressive.

I don't think I'll have much trouble getting the girls back into the new house - they are so greedy, they just follow me when I go up with their evening "bribe food". They go where I go. LOL