Integrating red sexlings

[cwenbass]

have had a small flock since August and starting
Laying in September. Just got 2 new red s that are about 20 weeks. Have them in run together with diff water and bowls. At night, old flock goes in coop and I put new birds in a dog crate and put them in a shed. I am concerned that the new ones will start laying eggs and I want them to get used to the coop and nesting boxes. Tried just putting them together the first day. That didn't work. After I broke up some fights, separated them. Should I just let them be in the same space knowing they are going to fight a little anyway and just get it over with?

 

[aart]

Can you put the crate in the coop?
Did they fight in the run together?


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

 

[cwenbass]

Can't fit dog crate in run door. They did fight the first day. Was thinking of letting all run around in the yard which my old flock does. My Concern is new ones trying to get away.

 

[aart]

Can you wire off part of the coop with food/water for them?
They really should spend some time in the coop getting acclimated without getting beat up.

 

[cwenbass]

They go in the coop when I let the old flock out. I then remove the partition between the run and they will go in there