What age to introduce new chickens to existing flock?

[clitonwood]

the books

 

[clitonwood]

#2 tractor with young chickens 3 Phenix 3 Cochines 3 Seabright 1 polish and 2 silkies

 

[clitonwood]

first tractor with the first 7 4 month old chickens

the 3 new chickens! The silver EE if you can look closely at the comb the red spot is where she was bleeding a Lil bit. She was happy for me to get her out of the corner!

2-27-2014 Got the first ones from local farmers supply ( witch are from privett hatchery) 4-16-2014 the second batch came from (cackle hatchery) except for the ee's ( had to drive to the south end of whidbey island and go to the other Skagit farmers supply and pick them up)

My ?'s are
1. If the first batch was close to laying ( not sure they kinda are doing the egg song, maby practice) will this delay and cause stress to them.
2. Will the older ones be meaner during this time of maby trying to lay?
3. The roo? Any comments from any one who has experience? What would be his place with these full size hen's?

 

[clitonwood]

Ok supper sad day came out to feed and found out my silver EE was dead looks like jumped up got head through and she broke her neck trying to get away. Kinda blame myself because of the large squares they can fit their heads through. And I did not introduced them close to each other enough or long enough. More fualts. Hate learning lessons the hard way.

my wyandottes seem so nice to me but soo cruel to the newcomers.

 

[Den in Penn]

clintonwood: Yes there is a learning curve to keeping chickens, as you are finding out. Yes stress can delay the first egg or not, they are individuals. Same with the period before they begin to lay its what the individual pullet brings to the flock. What was the question about the roosters? A rooster will try to be the rooster no matter his size or the hens size. It is harder to do a cold introduction the smaller the space the chickens have, and you tractors are pushing the space limits. Yup, the learning curve can be hard.

 

[Nofowlplay]

I am still waiting for my 3 original girls to stop chasing my newby. They are all about the same age. they do fine as long as they are occupied with mealworms or something. Newby girl sleeps by herself on a roost in the pen outside the coop walls. They have more than enough room. She is brave and keeps trying to get closer. When will they finally integrate? They are not mean breeds. Oldies are Buff Orpington, Barred Rock and Ameraucana. Newby girl is a speckled Sussex.

Should I buy a friend for my SS? She was quarantened for a week and has been in with the 3 for 2 weeks now. It has been a very slow process. yet I read about people who have things settled in a week.

 

[Den in Penn]

Yes sometimes it s a slow process. If they aren't drawling blood I would count it a success. It will take some time for total acceptance. A this time getting another may just mean that the new one takes as long to integrate and gives no guarantee that the Speckled Sussex becomes any tighter to the original three. This is one reason why it is often advised to integrate more then one at a time.

 

[Nofowlplay]

Yes sometimes it s a slow process.  If they aren't drawling blood I would count it a success.  It will take some time for total acceptance.  A this time getting another may just mean that the new one takes as long to integrate and gives no guarantee that the Speckled Sussex becomes any tighter to the original three.  This is one reason why it is often advised to integrate more then one at a time.

Thank you....no blood....she is just not getting any interaction.....and I am worried that this winter she will be out in the cold and not keeping warm with the others 3 girls in the coop.
Whenever the 3 go into her area she flies on to her roost or runs behind a board I put in the run for her to hide behind.
She's getting plenty of water and food and she seems contented. I wish I had of bought her a companion to be with during the quarantine. After 3 weeks is it too late?

 

[Den in Penn]

Winter is when they usually allow a low member of the pecking order to close ranks, for the added warmth. Again it doesn't always happen. Sometimes they just don't meld. If you get a new hen and quarantine, the added time will mean that she maybe a new bird by herself. You could get around it by putting the SS with her after the quarantine if she is still on the outs. Then try to integrate them both at the same time. Any of the hens will do as a buddy for integrating by pairs if things have settled down with the SS.

 

[Nofowlplay]

 Winter is when they usually allow a low member of the pecking order to close ranks, for the added warmth.  Again it doesn't always happen.  Sometimes they just don't meld.  If you get a new hen and quarantine, the added time will mean that she maybe a new bird by herself.  You could get around it by putting the SS with her after the quarantine if she is still on the outs.  Then try to integrate them both at the same time.  Any of the hens will do as a buddy for integrating by pairs if things have settled down with the SS.

Thanks for the sound advice.
I pulled a chair into the run tonight and observed their goings on. The Ameraucana joined the SS on the roost . She did not seem aggressive in her behavior but the SS jumped down into the run. I just checked on them a few minutes ago and the SS is on the higher roost where she always.goes to sleep at night or to run from the others. The Ameraucana is a few feet below her on a lower branch . I hope the Am is trying to be friendly and not territorial! The other 2 girls are in rthe coop .
Hoping for the best!