How Do I Introducing My New Chickens To My Existing Flock?

[lizardboy55]

Hello All,

I purchased a Blue Silkie Bantam about three months ago. I still cannot get my standard breed girls to accept her. She has been separated from them in the coop and in the run. She is with them while free ranging. When I try to introduce them, they are fine, until she moves. Then two or three go at her. I let them go, but they won't stop. It will go on for a few minuets. The one sits on her. An eleven pound chicken on an eight ounce one. Any idea how to get them to welcome her?

I also purchase a Blue Large Fowl Cochin who will be coming home Sunday (8/9/15) She is bigger then all my other breeds. Should I introduce her and the Silkie to the flock at the same time? Will that help them all get along?

Thank You,
Matthew

 

[CrazyTalk]

You've got a lot going against you - you're introducing a single bird (introducing a bunch is smoother), you're introducing a much smaller bird, you're introducing to established territory, etc.


How many birds do you have total? If it's only a couple, frankly I'd put them all in (portable cat/dog) kennels and put the small bird (and the other new bird) in the coop, and then start reintroducing the big girls one at a time to the coop after a couple days.

 

[ChickyMama1220]

You've got a lot going against you - you're introducing a single bird (introducing a bunch is smoother), you're introducing a much smaller bird, you're introducing to established territory, etc. 



How many birds do you have total? If it's only a couple, frankly I'd put them all in (portable cat/dog) kennels and put the small bird (and the other new bird) in the coop, and then start reintroducing the big girls one at a time to the coop after a couple days. 

After reading crazytalk's comment i realize i unknowingly fixed my pecking order/integration problem with my flock. I have a flock of 9 they are 8-12 wks old and i brought home 3 6wk old ameraucana chicks and they were being harrassed by 2 of my original flock. I put them in my "dick" cage (they were what im assuming my roos which if so they will be leaving) id never thought about hens being aggressive but im leaning towards them being hens now as they havent changed any to look more like roos. Anyways they stayed in the dog cage over night and let the big group out and then let them out the cage and all was well! The 3 newbies still dont trust the flock but no ones really picking on them anymore!

Some of mine one was running around holding that plastic bag haha!

 

[lizardboy55]

You've got a lot going against you - you're introducing a single bird (introducing a bunch is smoother), you're introducing a much smaller bird, you're introducing to established territory, etc. 



How many birds do you have total? If it's only a couple, frankly I'd put them all in (portable cat/dog) kennels and put the small bird (and the other new bird) in the coop, and then start reintroducing the big girls one at a time to the coop after a couple days. 

I have a flock of six then the silkie which makes seven, Then the new one which will make eight. If I leave the new ones in the run and the other six in the coop will that work too? And just for the night or two days?

Thank You,
Matthew

 

[HennyPennyJo]

I am concerned about introducing new pullets into an existing flock. The only thing I have heard is that it is best to introduce them at night. Apparently chickens are not particular to who they wake up with lol. Anyone have any other ideas or support for the "night Stranger" idea?

 

[aart]

I am concerned about introducing new pullets into an existing flock. The only thing I have heard is that it is best to introduce them at night. Apparently chickens are not particular to who they wake up with lol. Anyone have any other ideas or support for the "night Stranger" idea?

Welcome to BYC!!

The 'night stranger' theory can work, but most often it does not.
Like bobbie-j sez "chickens aren't the brightest animals on this planet, but they're not that stupid."

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.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best of mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

Another option, if possible, is to put all birds in a new coop and run, this takes the territoriality issues away.

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

 

[HennyPennyJo]

Thanks aart! I will certainly give that a shot. Strangely enough we have already started the close segregation method as we have a 10x22x6 run that is split between two coops that are within it. There is chain link down the middle (lower section has chicken wire for now because of the width of the chain link holes). They seem to be curious of each other and the young roo on one side has come beek to beek with an older hen (5 months) on the other side. It didn't seem that either was backing down. My hope is that after a couple weeks I will be able to move at least the rooster in with the 5 month hens. I will keep you posted. Any other ideas are of course welcomed!