Tips for introducing a single pullet to flock of 4

[ash_en_em]

Hey everyone. I'm looking for your advice and experience. I know that typically adding a single flock member is not ideal, but I recently found out I'd be inheriting a young EE (she was a "bonus" chick and not wanted for various reasons). She'll be joining a group of 4 Australorp pullets who are 6 months old.

I'll of course leave her separated until she's very close to the same size, and she'll be hanging out in one of those "prefab" coops you buy from the feed store right along side the existing coop for the time being.

We built the coop the Aussies are in with new additions in mind (because I knew chicken math would be a thing eventually ) so there will be enough room once they're all together. I'm not worried about the space, as they all free range daily in addition to coop/run space. My concern are temperaments and willingness to accept a single EE.

How are Aussies with accepting newcomers? How are EEs? I've heard they're both sweethearts, but the whole one chicken being introduced thing worries me a bit. Thanks in advance for all of your help and input! I'm pretty excited to a new type of chicken, especially one with such pretty eggs!

 

[Latestarter]

Chickens are the meanest, nastiest, cruel to each other sweethearts you can own. Every bird, like a human, has it's own personality. Some breeds are normally better than others. There are also group dynamics involved as someone has to be at the top of the pecking order (saying came about for a reason).

I had BAs and the roo lost his life because he didn't learn that flogging me was against the rules. You'd think a 10 pound chicken would learn and think twice about attacking a 250#+ man, but nope. When he caught me by surprise and drew blood in multiple places, he died shortly thereafter. The hens were relatively laid back though. Good luck with the final introductions!

 

[ash_en_em]

Chickens are the meanest, nastiest, cruel to each other sweethearts you can own. Every bird, like a human, has it's own personality. Some breeds are normally better than others. There are also group dynamics involved as someone has to be at the top of the pecking order (saying came about for a reason).

I had BAs and the roo lost his life because he didn't learn that flogging me was against the rules. You'd think a 10 pound chicken would learn and think twice about attacking a 250#+ man, but nope. When he caught me by surprise and drew blood in multiple places, he died shortly thereafter. The hens were relatively laid back though. Good luck with the final introductions!

Yes, I also had a roo (so much for the feed store only selling pullets) but he was re-homed. He was fine with me, just not my toddler. My girls have always been very sweet with my son and two will let him pet them.

Thanks for the good luck!

 

[aart]

How old is the new bird?
Breed doesn't matter much...individual temperament does.
Is your coop big enough to put up a temporary wall?
Is your run big enough to put the prefab inside?
Pics of your setup might help.
Lots of different ways to handle this situation, you'll have to be observant, flexible, and creative.

This might help:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock.71997/

As might this:
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

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.

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

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 copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, 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'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[Mrs. K]

Don't make it a single bird being integrated, take one of the ones you have now, try and get from the middle of the pecking order. And put that girl in with the newbie, when she gets closer to full size. There will be a dust up, but it will be one on one. Let them be together for quite a while, and then add the pair to the flock.

At that time, one of the original flock might be very mean, if so, pull her and put her where you had the little one grow up.

So introduce the new girl to one of the old birds in the new girls set up...wait.
Add the pair to the original flock, pulling out any excessively mean bird.
Read the mean bird, after a week or two.

Should work.

Mrs K

 

[ash_en_em]

Don't make it a single bird being integrated, take one of the ones you have now, try and get from the middle of the pecking order. And put that girl in with the newbie, when she gets closer to full size. There will be a dust up, but it will be one on one. Let them be together for quite a while, and then add the pair to the flock.

At that time, one of the original flock might be very mean, if so, pull her and put her where you had the little one grow up.

So introduce the new girl to one of the old birds in the new girls set up...wait.
Add the pair to the original flock, pulling out any excessively mean bird.
Read the mean bird, after a week or two.

Should work.

Mrs K

This. This is a brilliant idea! I've never even heard of something like this be suggested, and I have the perfect candidate from my flock for it. Thank you so much!

When you say "quite a while" are you talking a week or two? Or more than that? Winter is coming here in Ohio and I am hoping to have this integration at least mostly complete before then for everyone's sake.

 

[Mrs. K]

good luck, as for time, I would go at least two or three weeks, more than enough time before winter.

 

[Shadrach]

Hey everyone. I'm looking for your advice and experience. I know that typically adding a single flock member is not ideal, but I recently found out I'd be inheriting a young EE (she was a "bonus" chick and not wanted for various reasons). She'll be joining a group of 4 Australorp pullets who are 6 months old.

I'll of course leave her separated until she's very close to the same size, and she'll be hanging out in one of those "prefab" coops you buy from the feed store right along side the existing coop for the time being.

We built the coop the Aussies are in with new additions in mind (because I knew chicken math would be a thing eventually ) so there will be enough room once they're all together. I'm not worried about the space, as they all free range daily in addition to coop/run space. My concern are temperaments and willingness to accept a single EE.

How are Aussies with accepting newcomers? How are EEs? I've heard they're both sweethearts, but the whole one chicken being introduced thing worries me a bit. Thanks in advance for all of your help and input! I'm pretty excited to a new type of chicken, especially one with such pretty eggs!

Lots of points for just realising that a single hen of another breed may not instantly be accepted.
Good advice from @Mrs. K .
The keeping seperate but in sight of a flock for a single newcomer just doesn't work ime; the hens just wait until she out and about to pick on her; two or three newcomers can form bonds and even if they can't fight off the more aggresive senior hens they'll have mates they can hang around with.

 

[Shadrach]

By the way, you should quarantine the newcomer.