Topic of the Week - Adding New Chickens to the Flock

[Mrs. K]

Also very important, hide outs, space, and extra feeding stations!

 

[hst8]

We have found the easiest way to introduce new chickens is to allow all the chickens to free range when meeting and make sure to be around to play rooster. I try to stop any fighting before it begins. I then made sure that all chickens entered the coop at the end of the day. We found with the last introduction that the 4 new chickens liked to spend their time under the coop in a small protected area and the older flock was out in the run during the day. I made sure there was water and food accessible for the chickens under the coop and another source on the other side of the run. After a few days they were all out and about and the pecking order seems to have been established. I still have two food and water sources which I think helps with pecking. Its not as hard as I thought it would be. Good luck!

 

[DancingWthDucks]

My prosess for introducing new flock members: stick them together in a large run, with lots of places to run, dodge and hide, and supervise them for the first 30 mins until things settle down a little. I find that distracting the existing flock members with mealworms helps to take their minds off ammidiently attacking the new comers. If this doesn't work, I just add a LITTLE Peck-No-More spray, which seems to repel mean hens (I found out that chickens DO actually become drunk if you overdose them :/)

I do TRY to quarantine them for 30 days, like everyone recommends, however I often give in after 1 1/2- 2 weeks....

As for broodies, and chicks, I separate them the first few days before reintroducing them into the flock, and I find that the mama will fiercely defend her chicks from any curious flock member.

 

[Teila]

How do you go about introducing new birds to your established flock?

I only have a small flock, 5 at the moment and 6 is the maximum allowed.

In recent years, like others, the only chickens I have added have been from hatches here.

The last time I added a chicken to the flock was 3 years ago and that was LuLu. Because she was a lone chicken and quarantine would have been lonely for her, I took the risk, waived quarantine and introduced her to the flock which consisted of 3 at that time. There was some initial angst from the existing girls but LuLu is a plucky little gal and she basically arrived with the ‘I am here, get used to it!’ attitude and worked her way into the flock quite quickly.

I have found that a water pistol warning shot in the path of anyone looking for a fight works quite well.

What are the best methods for a smooth-as-possible introduction?

If I was to introduce non-chicks again, I would definitely ensure that there was more than one and quarantine the new additions for at least 3 weeks.

I would use the ‘look, don’t touch method’ when in the run but if free ranging in the garden, let them all out together .. space and distractions are definitely a great aid when integrating plus the previously mentioned water pistol.

How do you go about introducing a broody hen with new chicks to her flock?

My flock dynamics require that broody hens and their chicks have their own area so I do need to integrate the mother hen and chicks that I keep back into the flock.

I ensure that my mother hen and her babies can be seen by the flock during the early days; meaning that her broody area is set up where she is still visible to the flock but not accessible [separated by wire].

Introduction back into the flock is done over a couple of weeks and I use free range as a tool. I commence integration around the 4 weeks of age so that mumma hen is still protective of them and it takes me a couple of weeks.

If the flock is out free ranging, I close them out from the run, remove the divider and allow the mumma hen to introduce her chicks to the rest of the run and coop so that they learn all the good hidey places and get used to what will be their new home.

I also switch this out and while the flock do not like it, leave them locked in the run and let mumma hen give her chicks a guided tour of the garden and again, learn all the good hidey spots.

After a week or so of doing this, I let them all free range together but separate quarters still at lock in.

Space, time and patience have worked well for me when integrating mumma and bubs back into the flock and I have never had a mumma hen or chick injured.

 

[5Pedschickens]

I have 6 chickens that I will be adding to the flock of 12. The new ones are 2 white brahmas, 2 black sex links, 2 barred rocks. I will be adding those to 6 isa browns, 3 americanas, and 3 buff orpingtons. The new chickens are 9 weeks old. How much longer should I wait til I add them to the original flock, how should I add them and any other advice that you might have...Thanks! No roosters are involved with these chickens.

 

[chicknmania]

We always quarantine new birds for a month. they stay in a separate pen away from the flock. Ideally, for best quarantine, they should be in an entire separate area or building far away from the flock, but that is not always possible.

Anyway, after the month, they are allowed to be in a pen for another two or three weeks, where they can socialize with the flock through the wire, and, weather permitting, they also go outside during the day in our very large chicken tractor, so they can get used to the outside and also the idea of our free range flock coming and going from their night time quarters to the outside during the day, and back again. After this, they are acclimated, and blend with the flock in a day or so. We don't introduce new adult birds at all unless we are very sure they are healthy before we bring them home. I prefer getting chicks from a recognized hatchery, or hatching our own.

Broodies with chicks automatically go into their own pen for the first five to six weeks of the chick's lives. We feel they are warmer and safer this way and this gives the mother a chance to have a break and just be with her babies and relax a bit before she has to take on the challenges of them joining the flock and being outside.. They are close to the flock though so the flock knows they are there, and vice versa, and again, they go into the big tractor outside, weather permitting. Once they are free, it takes them just a day or two to acclimate, with very little harassment from the other birds.

We've never had to introduce a rooster, all ours have been hatched here and introduced in the way I already described.

 

[CuzChickens]

I have only had to add new chicks in with my existing flock once and it could have been much smoother...

My brother gifted me 15 chicks for my birthday of two breeds he knew I wanted badly. I brooded them away from the big chickens for the first 2 weeks. When they were two weeks old, I made a odd looking 1' x 3' little enclosure in the coop out of chicken wire and haphazardly stapled it all together. The chicks kept finding ways to get out and I'd walk out to see a bewildered flock staring at the tiny creature running everywhere with no idea how to jump up the 2 feet back into the coop. One day my sister found a chick that had tried to slip out and instead sliced from the back of her head to 2/3 of the way down her back on a protruding wire. That was the last straw. I moved them to a portable chicken coop that was normally used for meat birds and decided to try integration later. When they were eight weeks old, a weasel attacked and killed five, and badly injured one (the same one that had gotten hurt on the wire a few weeks earlier). I was scared and moved them to the coop with the big chickens, away from weasel. The situation was not ideal, the chicks slipped in and out of the poultry net as they pleased when the big chickens chased them. I set down food and water and guarded them in mornings and evenings letting them eat and chasing away the big chickens if they tried to come near. After a week, the chicks learned to keep to themselves and stay in the fence, even though they could still slip in and out. I continued to let them eat alone, but at nine weeks old they were living with fully grown chickens (and five roosters, I might add) and getting along pretty well. So, it could have been much smoother, but it worked out in the end, so keep in mind that your chickens might not need to be fully grown before joining the rest of the flock.

Have a great week,

~Cuz

 

[3riverschick]

Sorry I got nothing for you on this topic .I just build another Coop and run.

. Looking at all these Emojis I feel like the contents of a slot machine escaped!
Best,
Karen

 

[milkshakee]

We have always given store bought chicks to the calmest hen in our flock to raise. We separate the hen to a private caged off corner of the hen house and introduce the chicks at night. We provide a heat lamp for about a week. And remove it when the hen starts mothering and protecting the chicks. They can see the entire flock but wire mesh keeps them safe. At three mo they join the flock full time. When chicks are raised by a hen they are healthier and smarter. When introducing fertile eggs we do the same thing with a Broody hen.

 

[azygous]

- How do you go about introducing new birds to your established flock(s)?

I assume we're talking about new adult birds. Here's how I do it. ttp://www.backyardchickens.com/a/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock

- Do you quarantine new birds and if so, how do you go about it?

No. Some of the worst diseases do not manifest themselves in the short period of time you have a chicken quarantined. I see no point.

I introduced two new adult chickens recently, and I didn't quarantine either. One had been from a rescue shelter, and a vet had examined the hen. The other was from a friend's flock that had all been killed by a predator. I've known the hen for several years and was familiar with her .

- What is the best age(s) to introduce younger birds? (For example brooder raised chicks)

I brood my chicks in proximity to the adult flock. The chicks are "introduced" the minute they arrive at a day old. They begin to mingle with the adults at age two weeks by means of the panic room system of integration. It's fool-proof and I can say that with utmost certainty.

- How do you go about introducing a broody hen with new chicks to her flock?

I have a broody right now incubating eggs. She takes once daily breaks and terrorizes the flock for all of five minutes, assuring they don't forget her.

When the chicks hatch, she will have her own pen and coop section to raise the chicks for the first two weeks in peace and security. Then I open her pen so she can bring the chicks into the main run, which is closed off so the flock can see them but not access them. It's a version of "see but don't touch" integration. The flock watches the broody and the chicks for a few days, and then I open all the pens up so everyone has access again. By then the flock is acquainted with the chicks, and it's then up to the broody to lay down the law as far as anyone getting ideas about harming the chicks. It seems to work just fine.

- How do you introduce a cockbird to a flock of hens and what was your experience(s) doing so?

I've only had accidental roos. Cockerels seem to materialize in my flock from time to time as if by magic.