Adding 1 chicken to flock

[DebraMarvinchicks]

My hens are over 1 year old, adding a 7 week old, just one, to the flock, should I cage the 7 week old at night?

 

[warmth]

I would say yes. I've had hens be pretty damn nasty to younger birds when it comes to who gets on the roosting bar.

I'd honestly recommend keeping them separated but able to see each other and not just tossing the poor thing to the wolves. Supervised mingling helps them really get to know each other without risking an injured bird.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I use a several week "see and be seen" process with a partition/divider, and routinely add new birds about that age (admittedly, not singles) to my adult flock. Takes 10 days to two weeks, typically, though I begin earlier. Around roosting time tends to be the best behavior, in my experience, not the worst.

Make sure you have multiple feed stations, multiple water stations, plenty of low buckets, crates, etc to help break line of sight, and a wide run helps - so the new bird can't easily be trapped in one end.

Abundance reduces stress and improves behaviors - space is a social lubricant.

 

[Mamatomany123]

You need to have the bird in a see but no touch setup for a while. I would actually wituntil the chick is close to the adults sizes before integrating fully. I've never integrated 1 chick but have integrated batches of chicks to adult flocks before. The chicks lays tend to stay together and don't really hang out with the bigger girls until they get closer to laying

 

[aart]

My hens are over 1 year old, adding a 7 week old, just one, to the flock, should I cage the 7 week old at night?

How many hens?
How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.

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.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Cazook]

any way you can add more than one? it will be very lonely for the month quarantine + separation

 

[DebraMarvinchicks]

I would say yes. I've had hens be pretty damn nasty to younger birds when it comes to who gets on the roosting bar.

I'd honestly recommend keeping them separated but able to see each other and not just tossing the poor thing to the wolves. Supervised mingling helps them really get to know each other without risking an injured bird.

Thanks

 

[DebraMarvinchicks]

I use a several week "see and be seen" process with a partition/divider, and routinely add new birds about that age (admittedly, not singles) to my adult flock. Takes 10 days to two weeks, typically, though I begin earlier. Around roosting time tends to be the best behavior, in my experience, not the worst.

Make sure you have multiple feed stations, multiple water stations, plenty of low buckets, crates, etc to help break line of sight, and a wide run helps - so the new bird can't easily be trapped in one end.

Abundance reduces stress and improves behaviors - space is a social lubricant.

Thanks

 

[DebraMarvinchicks]

any way you can add more than one? it will be very lonely for the month quarantine + separation

No, I’m helping a friend out, she only had one. Thank you. Things are going well so far!!!