Adding chickens to already small small flock....

Make a bigger coop.

Add 4 or 5 hens the same age as the ones you've raised.

You should get some Ameraucanas.  

It will be easier if you get new hens that are the same sort of age as yours.  

1. Keep the new ones away from yours for a few weeks to make sure they have no diseases that could spread to your birds.

2.  After this period put the hens into a large dog crate, or similar, and place it in the chickens run with your original birds .  Then they can see and hear each other.

3.  After a week or when they seem not to be interested in each other, you can let the new ones out.

4.  There will be fighting, but just let them get on with it.  They need to get the pecking order sorted.  Only stop the fighting if you see blood or its going on for long time.

5.  That is it.  

If you want to raise more chicks it is fun, but more work for you and takes lot longer.  When you introduce them to the flock do as above. (they need to be pullet size then).  You will have problems with the rooster attacking the pullets trying to mate with them as there will then be a big age difference between your old birds and the new ones.

Good Luck and let us all know what you decide.

Merging 2 Flocks Together

There is a specific way to introduce them to each other for sure. Ages have a lot to do with it also? Pecking order has a lot to do with it? Over crowding is a big consideration. Feeding is the most competitive situation there is and the food is all about pecking order and regarding who gets first dibs and bragging rights. Is the Polish an older flock than the ones you have? If they are you stand a better chance at integration.

Here is what I would do.

#1 isolate (quarantine) the new birds to make sure of illnesses first for at least a week if not more. This allows you to get familiar with the new girls.

#2 inspect them over the week or so to make sure there is no injuries already. Check the entire body for scraps scratches or any infection stuff.

#3 Ask the old owner who is the first girl in the pecking order and next and so on so you knows who is the boss.

#4 make time throughout the week or so to inspect each birds stool to see if its runny, bug infested, solid or if there is blood in any of the birds.

#5 find out what are the new kids favorite foods so you can bribe them to you.

#6 they need to know and understand where is there new home so they need to be not only locked in the new coop/run/brooder during the day all day while the regular hens are around.

#7 build a chicken divider from the furthest place in the coop right up to the door of the coop and put the new on one side and the old on the other side but at night you need to carry the new girls to a temp sleeper so the old girls can go to their own coop/run/sleeper. You do not want them being disturbed daily cycle wise.

#8 put coop food/water exactly opposite the other sides food/water so they see each other every day after the first week or so quarantine time while eating. Why, food is the most competitive time and the survival of the fittest comes into play and they will hurt and pull feathers and peck to the point of hurting and drawing blood maintain the pecking order that is in place.

#9 week 3 after a max 2 week lock down in the temp side you will let them in the run together supervised and in the run as the referee between the 2 or 3 or even 4 top of the pecking order birds. You may just want to put the lower of the old group in the temp side of the coop supervised to see if they will be confrontational if not let them run around in the run but to bribe them and come back in the coop with bribes of favorite foods like mill worms or whatever if they will be good girls.

#10 start letting them in the 3 week time or 4^th week start interacting together without you and your have done your part and great job. Its not always easy but look for fights or disputes but your really done merging 2 flocks safely.

Best of luck to you.