What age to introduce new chickens to existing flock?

[bekahubbell]

They enjoyed themselves. It was the first time they were outside. I bring them in at night. The older chicks didn't care about them, they each took turns walking close to the cage but that was it. Im hoping one of my new lil ones doesn't turn out to be a "he".

 

[soniaartist]

They enjoyed themselves. It was the first time they were outside. I bring them in at night. The older chicks didn't care about them, they each took turns walking close to the cage but that was it. Im hoping one of my new lil ones doesn't turn out to be a "he".

I know my neighbors will kill me..my lil silkies can be loud. My bsl actually walked up the plank today on their own. I went out to drop their shade..and no pullets..I was like wth??? And they were in their coop in the dark staying cool..first time ever..so I put their ice bag in the coop. The first for everything are so fun.

 

[clitonwood]

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.

got first eggs today! My question about the bantam roo was would the extra large females hurt or not bother him.( since the murder of the silver EE they were separated. I switch days on wich tractor free ranges. Maby some time in the future when everyone is at there largest, I will let them free range together? Then try integration again?

 

[Den in Penn]

got first eggs today! My question about the bantam roo was would the extra large females hurt or not bother him.( since the murder of the silver EE

they were separated. I switch days on wich tractor free ranges. Maby some time in the future when everyone is at there largest, I will let them free range together? Then try integration again?

I assume now you meant that the hens will harass him to death. It is really unlikely that they will. If he has space to run even a mature hen teaching a young rooster manners is rarely hurt. But yes integration works best when they are nearer in size.

 

[kilmon88]

If anyone could help me out it would be greatly appreciated https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/914556/introducing-an-adult-bird-to-a-pullet-flock#post_13913232

 

[reneoy]

I have been following this thread a bit to try and introduce my BSL (now 4 1/2 months) into our flock. We have 4 adult hens that have made integration very difficult. My BSL gets anxiety around one of my Reds and my Golden Laced Wyandotte because during their free-range time they harass her. I tried letting her in the coop at night to sleep, only to be woken in the early morning hours by a fight in the coop, ending with my BSL having a laceration on her face.

I have set up my BSL's "brooder" -- a large dog crate, next to the coop. They get supervised grazing time, the coop is clean and no one is hatching or broody. I don't know where to go from here. We have had our BSL since Easter and it doesn't seem to be getting easier. Our BSL gets chased onto the patio furniture. If she is exploring the run (with an open door) and one of the harassers approaches, she flips out and jumps onto our waterer to get away.

Any tips?

Thanks in advance!

 

[MusiGal]

Let me first start by saying, I am impulsive. Being impulsive means I do things like go to buy groceries and see a Chicken Swap happening at the local Tractor Supply and turn in to go look. By the time I'm done buying my groceries, I've also purchased 5 new Red Sexlink pullets. Yeah...that happened last Saturday.

With that said, being that it was an impulse buy, I was not prepared for new chickens. I already had five girls who are all 17 months old. The new girls are 6-7 months old. I had no choice but to throw them all in together...no quarantine of the new ones, no gently introducing them to the existing flock, nothing. Luckily, I have a huge yard and my girls all free-range during the day. I had to put the new girls into the coop that night and all of them ended up sleeping on the floor...now all but two of them understand the roost. The other two will come in time, I'm certain. It's been a week now and all is well. No signs of illness, they're all getting along...admittedly they do have an open run during the day. It's fun to watch them, I feel like I have two gangs in my yard. The original five and the new five. They keep a fair distance from each other, but occasionally they will intermingle...once they realize what they've done, they quickly separate again!

Unfortunately, for a week, the new pullets have also only had access to layer pellets. I knew that usually you don't give young ones that until they lay their first eggs, which they have not, but again, because of my impulsiveness, I didn't have any. So, for a week, they've been foraging and eating the layer pellets. I guess, I'll have to go to TSC today and get some flock grower. Hopefully, I haven't caused too much damage.

Any thoughts besides the fact that I've been incredible stupid/lucky?

 

[aart]

Let me first start by saying, I am impulsive. Being impulsive means I do things like go to buy groceries and see a Chicken Swap happening at the local Tractor Supply and turn in to go look. By the time I'm done buying my groceries, I've also purchased 5 new Red Sexlink pullets. Yeah...that happened last Saturday.

With that said, being that it was an impulse buy, I was not prepared for new chickens. I already had five girls who are all 17 months old. The new girls are 6-7 months old. I had no choice but to throw them all in together...no quarantine of the new ones, no gently introducing them to the existing flock, nothing. Luckily, I have a huge yard and my girls all free-range during the day. I had to put the new girls into the coop that night and all of them ended up sleeping on the floor...now all but two of them understand the roost. The other two will come in time, I'm certain. It's been a week now and all is well. No signs of illness, they're all getting along...admittedly they do have an open run during the day. It's fun to watch them, I feel like I have two gangs in my yard. The original five and the new five. They keep a fair distance from each other, but occasionally they will intermingle...once they realize what they've done, they quickly separate again!

Unfortunately, for a week, the new pullets have also only had access to layer pellets. I knew that usually you don't give young ones that until they lay their first eggs, which they have not, but again, because of my impulsiveness, I didn't have any. So, for a week, they've been foraging and eating the layer pellets. I guess, I'll have to go to TSC today and get some flock grower. Hopefully, I haven't caused too much damage.

Any thoughts besides the fact that I've been incredible stupid/lucky?

LOL!!!

Layer feed should be fine for 6-7 month olds. They should be laying soon if not already, tho it may take a few days for them to lay in a new environment....but then you're lucky, so go look for eggs right now ;-)

 

[winchuck]

I ended up with only two of my original flock after a disease and then an over abundance of roosters that were fighting. We have one hen that is called "Itty Bitty for a reason and a studly rooster, Bubba. Bubba has remained partial to protecting, feeding and fertilizing Itty Bitty's eggs without too much attention being paid to the younger 5 girls who were hatched in late April. They share a 50' run with lots of ferns, bushes etc to hide in. No real problems have happened besides a bit of chasing. I put the two adults in the coop at night giving the chicks the lower level screened in area of the coop at night. It will be colder this fall and know they would like the coop better. Do I force the issue or do I just wait to see if they go up there by themselves? The chicks are now as big as Itty Bitty but won't be expected to produce eggs until January/Feb time frame.

 

[Den in Penn]

Winchuck: You can do either it won't hurt them either way. When I am going to introduce an new batch of pullets to the coop, I will put the grow-out tractor in the same pasture area as as the coop and hope they will go to the large coop. They rarely do and I have to force the move myself.