Introducing new chickens to existing flock

[deb80]

We have 2 laying hens that are about a year old. We have 11 new pullets from this spring. We built a new coop because our original coop was found lacking over the winter months (one hen lost all her toes on one foot). My question is when and how to introduce the chickens to each other so we can have them all in the same (hopefully) winter proof coop.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Here's a good article:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-see-but-don-t-touch-method

 

[cstronks]

I did this last year as well. I added nine chickens to my flock of five. All in all the integration went very well, and I used this method to combine all the birds. I've linked my thread to this post for you to check out.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ck-today-pics-of-setup-included#post_13902996

 

[Anitque]

I am just about to do the same thing. I just "reduced" my 16 week old flock of 21 birds down to three, one hen and two roosters. I have another flock of 27 birds which are 8 weeks old, seven of them are bantams. I have a split chicken house and run (wire split) so the older birds have lived next door to the younger flock since their birth, but now i'm about a week past the 1st flock reduction, I think its time to let the two come together and share the entire coop and run.

I'm pretty nervous about the process because the two larger rooster are more that twice as big as the younger, but there are a lot more of the teens than the adults so maybe that will throw the big roo off his game a little. I hope that since they have been window neighbors for the last two months that it will be very anticlimactic. I farm the birds for meat and eggs both so I am still apprehensive about the operation.

 

[aart]

We have 2 laying hens that are about a year old. We have 11 new pullets from this spring. We built a new coop because our original coop was found lacking over the winter months (one hen lost all her toes on one foot). My question is when and how to introduce the chickens to each other so we can have them all in the same (hopefully) winter proof coop.

How old are the new pullets?
Have any of the birds been living in the new coop yet? If not that may help as none are used to it being 'their territory'.
Do you free range? That can be the best place to let them meet, especially if they've been taking turns free ranging.


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

 

[ValedasLascas]

I agree regarding the space. Just put them all in together and keep an eye on them just in case. In nearly all circumstances they will sort out any dominance issues themselves without much bloodshed. I only used to have major problems when the space I kept the birds in was too small but now I am lucky and have space to spare. If I get new birds after I have kept them separate for a couple of weeks I just allow them all to mix with each other. 99% of the time everything is fine.

 

[deb80]

They are about 14 weeks old. The new ones have been living in the new coop for about a week because they outgrew the temporary housing. We thought of moving the old coop (it's small) into the run for the new coop and putting up a divider. We allow the 2 hens to free range when we are home but not all the time. We have a road near us that they crossed once. People drive fast but luckily no one was on the road at that moment. We did accidentally leave them out overnight a couple times but usually they get put away. The new run is much bigger so we aren't sure if we will let them out as much or at all.

 

[truckguy]

I introduced my 3 new pullets today there was some pecking but not bad. I have 2 that I have had for a few years and they free range the back yard. the younger ones are hanging out in their coup.

I separated the coup by using chicken wire so they have seen eachother for the last few weeks. today is introduction day. we'll see how the day pans out.