getting new hens today, adding to my existing 4 hen flock

i am getting 11 new hens today. one is 2 years old and the rest are between 8 months and 1 year. my existing 4 hens are a year old.
i am already getting the hens in the late evening, just not sure the etiquette on introducing them. we have a large coop and an extremely large run for them. we do have the option of having the pre existing flock free range in our fenced back yard. any tips?

Best advice is to quarantine new birds for at least 2 weeks as far from your flock as possible. Work your birds first each day and wash up after handling or working the new birds.
After that, free ranging together helps but then the trouble is that the new birds won't know where to sleep.

what do you mean by "working"?

ChickenCanoe said:

Best advice is to quarantine new birds for at least 2 weeks as far from your flock as possible. Work your birds first each day and wash up after handling or working the new birds.
After that, free ranging together helps but then the trouble is that the new birds won't know where to sleep.

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Off topic ChickenCanoe, but what is your rooster in your avatar? Look at mine.... I thought for a minute you might have borrowed my picture.

mtnchickenmomma said:

what do you mean by "working"?

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Feeding, watering, handling, bedding changes, collecting eggs, etc..

KendyF said:

Off topic ChickenCanoe, but what is your rooster in your avatar? Look at mine.... I thought for a minute you might have borrowed my picture.

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It's a Black Penedesenca, my favorite breed and the one I raise. I can tell it's not the same. The penedesenca has a carnation comb. It and empordanesas are the only breeds in the world with a white earlobe that lay a brown egg. And what a pretty egg it is.
What breed is yours?

Quarantining is useful if you are buying them privately, however if they are coming from a hatchery or larger place then they are probably free of most diseases (as those are bad for business). I would certainly try and ensure that the birds are healthy before picking them up, because it is tough to quarantine them properly without two coops. I for one will have no space to quarantine with a spacial barrier when I get my new birds. Inside the coop you can divide areas with chicken wire so that the birds can see each other but not access each other. I plan on splitting my coop and run in half when my new birds arrive so the birds can see each other and get used to each other but not come in direct contact. After a week or two I will then integrate them at night by putting the new birds onto the roost and hoping for the best. These are generally the best things you can do to integrate without too much trouble.

The OP is picking up hens so they're not from a hatchery. Any bird other than newly hatched chicks, even from reputable breeders with tested flocks could be carrying a disease or parasites so needs to be quarantined

ChickenCanoe said:

It's a Black Penedesenca, my favorite breed and the one I raise. I can tell it's not the same. The penedesenca has a carnation comb. It and empordanesas are the only breeds in the world with a white earlobe that lay a brown egg. And what a pretty egg it is.
What breed is yours?

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We don't know, which is why I was asking about yours! I am sure he is a mix, but they thought Silkie and Polish. I disagree. His most amazing feature is his beautiful tail, which is why yours reminded me of mine. On closer inspection I definitely see the differences.

Yours sure has a huge tail.
Maybe part Crevecoeur.

KendyF said:

We don't know, which is why I was asking about yours! I am sure he is a mix, but they thought Silkie and Polish. I disagree. His most amazing feature is his beautiful tail, which is why yours reminded me of mine. On closer inspection I definitely see the differences.

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ChickenCanoe said:

The OP is picking up hens so they're not from a hatchery. Any bird other than newly hatched chicks, even from reputable breeders with tested flocks could be carrying a disease or parasites so needs to be quarantined

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But do they need to be quarantined for a full 4 weeks? My Silkie came from a man who bought them from a feed store who bought them from a hatchery. He is 4 months old and this man is the only owner since he was purchased.