Adding 3month old hen with 3 week chickens?

[Hssnider73]

I have the opportunity to take in a hopefully speckled Olive egger hen that’s 3 months old. My flock as of now consists of 3 week old chicks. I’m a new chicken farmer . Can I combine them easily? Do I need to keep them separate until the little ones are bigger? Any advice or suggestions are welcome.

 

[Chicken101-07]

Wait until the little ones are bigger,most chickens are just bullies when they meet smaller chickens than themselves

 

[Hssnider73]

Wait until the little ones are bigger,most chickens are just bullies when they meet smaller chickens than themselves

How big would the little ones need to be?

 

[aart]

Adding a single older bird can be tricky....and risky due to pests and diseases.
Beware of the chicken math, new keepers are highly susceptible.

How many 3wo chicks do you have...and where are they housed??
Dimensions and pics of coop and run would help here.


Consider biological/medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article


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/

 

[Hssnider73]

Adding a single older bird can be tricky....and risky due to pests and diseases.
Beware of the chicken math, new keepers are highly susceptible.

How many 3wo chicks do you have...and where are they housed??
Dimensions and pics of coop and run would help here.


Consider biological/medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article


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/

We have 17 3-week old Chicks. They are in our garage in an 6x2 Ft brooder. So the 3 month old would have free range of coop, which was built for around 40 chickens and free range of 2 acres during the day. The babies are just starting to go outside in a 8x4 tractor/pen when the temps are around 85 during the day, so they would get to interact with each other through the mesh. Most info on integrating birds is always referring to the new birds being younger, smaller than the new one so not sure how to proceed here. And also curious if she will be okay by herself in the coop. I could move the chicks brooder into the coop. The only reason I hadn’t yet is because we were using a heat lamp but I’m actually getting heat plates in today to use instead.

 

[Mrs. K]

How badly do you want the older bird, as disease is a real issue, or lice or mites.

Your chicks are old enough to be outside with no additional heat at all. I would put them in the coop/ run, set up a lot of clutter, hideouts, roosts, multiple feeders. And let them be there for 2-3 days - to get it figured out. Learn to go to the coop at night (you may have to guide them in a couple of times). I would keep the new bird where you have the chicks now for a couple of days.

Being as you have a lot of chicks- and adding a single bird that is bigger - it is apt to work without a lot of dust up. Now the new bird WILL peck and chase the littles, but she can't chase all of them, it is exhausting. They are NOT going to be bFF right away, and in fact not until the chicks begin to lay- so probably months from now.

But they should be able to be in the same coop/run together. As long as you have some hideouts. If a bird can see all the other birds 100% of time, in a run, it is poorly set up, and boring to chickens. Adding boxes, totes, ladders, chairs, mini walls, roosts, pallets up on blocks, sawhorses. Just stuff so that a bird can get away from another bird or out of site from another bird.

Mrs K

 

[Hssnider73]

just an update for anyone else looking for info on adding an older girl with their chicks.
She has done great with them. Never once pecked them unless they came after her and even then just a ‘get out of my face‘ peck. I think the 17 little ones have harassed her much more than she could have them. They are outside together all day but are still separate at night just in case. Thankfully it was super easy transition.

 

[Mrs. K]

good! I just gave similar advice.

 

[Hssnider73]

good! I just gave similar advice.

Yes thank you! I made sure the little ones had a little hideout away from her but they haven’t even had to use. Although they have enjoyed playing with it.