How do i introduce the new hens to my hen without them fighting or feeling threatened?

papileo

In the Brooder
5 Years
Oct 22, 2014
88
2
48
Los Angeles, California
I am starting my new flock and i have recently bought two hens that are about two months old.
i tried putting both hens in the coop one was okay and perched up on the roost, but the other hen was attacked by my older hen that i have had for almost a year. I kept the one that didn't get attacked in the coop with the rest, i kept the other hen on the top portion of the coop which is a smaller coop for now. Hopefully I get an answer soon so tomorrow I'll know exactly to do! Since its night over here in Los Angeles
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I want to know how to introduce them to each other without my older hen attacking my new hens.

Can there be an explanation why she attacked one and not the other?

Did she feel threatened by the new hens and attack?

How can i make her get used to the new hens?

Is this probably normal their first meeting?
 
Introducing chickens is a rather simple progress. The first introduction is especially risky for violence because the chickens are not used to each other yet (so it is normal). Your one hen was probably attacked because the older hen was trying to work out the pecking order with her, the new hen didn't put up much of an opposition, and the older hen determined she was above the young hen in the pecking order. Sometimes chickens will get too violent in that process. Maybe the other new hen stood up higher in the pecking order, or just avoided your flock and the pecking order that follows.

To get them used to each other, put both hens in a cornered off section of the coop (use fencing material so the new hens can see but not touch older hens, and vice-versa). You can also put them in a dog crate. The point of this is just so they all can get used to having new members of the flock. Keep the new hens in that enclosure for a week, possibly less. The older hens will actually get used to the new hens and not be so violent. I did this recently with a hen, and the results were wonderful.
 
Introducing chickens is a rather simple progress. The first introduction is especially risky for violence because the chickens are not used to each other yet (so it is normal). Your one hen was probably attacked because the older hen was trying to work out the pecking order with her, the new hen didn't put up much of an opposition, and the older hen determined she was above the young hen in the pecking order. Sometimes chickens will get too violent in that process. Maybe the other new hen stood up higher in the pecking order, or just avoided your flock and the pecking order that follows.

To get them used to each other, put both hens in a cornered off section of the coop (use fencing material so the new hens can see but not touch older hens, and vice-versa). You can also put them in a dog crate. The point of this is just so they all can get used to having new members of the flock. Keep the new hens in that enclosure for a week, possibly less. The older hens will actually get used to the new hens and not be so violent. I did this recently with a hen, and the results were wonderful.
Thank you. i have also seen videos where the new hen is put in a dog crate and put inside the coop so both young and new chickens can interact with each other. Is that fine to do?
I have also heard the term "pecking order" i know its something about the dominance of the chickens but can you explain to me what that is ?
 
Pecking is one way that chickens communicate and the pecking order is about who has the higher status within the flock.
It's about territory(space) and sustenance(food and water)...and some chickens just appear to be bullies.
Higher ups peck at lower downs...and it never ends, can change and can be anything from so mild you won't even notice it to so violent that blood will be drawn.

Separation by wire at first, lots of space, places to hide or get up and away, multiple food/water stations can go a long way to easing the integration.



Here's some notes I've taken on integration that I found to be very helpful.......
......take what applies or might help and ignore the rest.
See if any of them, or the links provided at the bottom, might offer some tips that will assist you in your situation:

Integration of new chickens into flock.


Consider medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
Poultry Biosecurity
BYC 'medical quarantine' search

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. Integrating new birds of equal size works best.

For smaller chicks I used a large wire dog crate right in the coop for the smallers. I removed the crate door and put up a piece of wire fencing over the opening and bent up one corner just enough for the smallers to fit thru but the biggers could not. Feed and water inside the crate for the smallers. Make sure the smallers know how to get in and out of the crate opening before exposing them to the olders. this worked out great for me, by the time the crate was too small for the them to roost in there(about 3 weeks), they had pretty much integrated themselves to the olders.

If you have too many smallers to fit in a crate you can partition off part of the coop with a wire wall and make the same openings for smallers escape.


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 blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down, 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 and/or up and away from any bully birds.

Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock
 
Pecking is one way that chickens communicate and the pecking order is about who has the higher status within the flock.
It's about territory(space) and sustenance(food and water)...and some chickens just appear to be bullies.
Higher ups peck at lower downs...and it never ends, can change and can be anything from so mild you won't even notice it to so violent that blood will be drawn.

Separation by wire at first, lots of space, places to hide or get up and away, multiple food/water stations can go a long way to easing the integration.



Here's some notes I've taken on integration that I found to be very helpful.......
......take what applies or might help and ignore the rest.
See if any of them, or the links provided at the bottom, might offer some tips that will assist you in your situation:

Integration of new chickens into flock.


Consider medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
Poultry Biosecurity
BYC 'medical quarantine' search

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. Integrating new birds of equal size works best.

For smaller chicks I used a large wire dog crate right in the coop for the smallers. I removed the crate door and put up a piece of wire fencing over the opening and bent up one corner just enough for the smallers to fit thru but the biggers could not. Feed and water inside the crate for the smallers. Make sure the smallers know how to get in and out of the crate opening before exposing them to the olders. this worked out great for me, by the time the crate was too small for the them to roost in there(about 3 weeks), they had pretty much integrated themselves to the olders.

If you have too many smallers to fit in a crate you can partition off part of the coop with a wire wall and make the same openings for smallers escape.


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 blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down, 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 and/or up and away from any bully birds.

Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

Wow. Incredible post, you have told me everything there is to know about my answer!

Thank you,

Leo.
 

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