Adding a hen pecked easter egger to existing flock

[Grayfeather22]

Has anyone rescued a pecked chicken before? What was your experience with blending her into your existing flock? Also are easter eggers loud?

 

[rosemarythyme]

How old is the rescue? How old are your current birds? Have you ever done integration before?

None of my EEs have been particularly noisy.

 

[Grayfeather22]

How old is the rescue? How old are your current birds? Have you ever done integration before?

None of my EEs have been particularly noisy.

Hi the rescue will be about 17-18 weeks, my current birds i have will be 2 yrs in june. I have not done integration before. I know i alittle bit about it like making sure they have plenty of waterers and food supply. Keeping the new birds away from the old ones but where they can still see each other maybe do this for 1-2 weeks. I have a wyondette golden laced she is the aggressive on the flock, she is buddies with my wellsummer. And my bieler felder is the less aggressive at the bottom of the pecking order for sure. On 3/20/22 i lost the fourth bird unexpectedly. I can still say no to the rescue but would like to help. All my alive birds are from a farm. I know i need to quarantine her for a while i will be talking to the farm rep. Thank you for your help.

 

[Mrs. K]

I am questioning

the rescue will be about 17-18 weeks

Do you mean the bird will be 17 weeks old, or it will be 17 weeks until you rescue. Why is this bird in rescue?

Do not take anything you feel sorry for. Anything looking sick, do not mess with, you can ruin your whole flock. Proper quarantine is considerably more than just separating the birds, if you don't properly do the quarantine you may as not do it at all. It is very difficult to do a proper quarantine in a truly back yard set up.

Measure your coop and run. Over crowding birds causes the most problems, and letting them out for a couple of hours does not help if the coop and run are too small.

Adding a single bird is the hardest integration there is. Everyone knows that bird is the new comer and will attack. Adding 3-4 birds will be easier, IF YOU REALLY HAVE THE ROOM.

Letting your old birds out of the coop/run and locking them out and the new bird in, can help let the new bird get used to the set up without being chased for her life, feed along the fence. This can act like the see, but no touch with the added benefit of letting the new bird explore.

The older the bird, the greater the chance of bringing in disease and pests to your flock.

I have added older birds numerous times. I get them from people like me, that keep their flock similar to me. They look healthy. I would not bring in birds from an auction, or from people that show their birds. Both are places a disease can get started.

A lot of people have ruined their flocks by taking in rescue birds. If you would go into a state of decline if you lost your current flock, seriously reconsider this. While it seems noble to rescue birds, there is a considerable risk to your own flock.

A pecked chicken in one flock, is very likely to be a pecked chicken in a new flock. It can be heartless. Pictures of your set up can help us evaluate the situation. A lot of hideouts and escapes are essential.

Mrs K

 

[Grayfeather22]

I am questioning

Do you mean the bird will be 17 weeks old, or it will be 17 weeks until you rescue. Why is this bird in rescue?

Do not take anything you feel sorry for. Anything looking sick, do not mess with, you can ruin your whole flock. Proper quarantine is considerably more than just separating the birds, if you don't properly do the quarantine you may as not do it at all. It is very difficult to do a proper quarantine in a truly back yard set up.

Measure your coop and run. Over crowding birds causes the most problems, and letting them out for a couple of hours does not help if the coop and run are too small.

Adding a single bird is the hardest integration there is. Everyone knows that bird is the new comer and will attack. Adding 3-4 birds will be easier, IF YOU REALLY HAVE THE ROOM.

Letting your old birds out of the coop/run and locking them out and the new bird in, can help let the new bird get used to the set up without being chased for her life, feed along the fence. This can act like the see, but no touch with the added benefit of letting the new bird explore.

The older the bird, the greater the chance of bringing in disease and pests to your flock.

I have added older birds numerous times. I get them from people like me, that keep their flock similar to me. They look healthy. I would not bring in birds from an auction, or from people that show their birds. Both are places a disease can get started.

A lot of people have ruined their flocks by taking in rescue birds. If you would go into a state of decline if you lost your current flock, seriously reconsider this. While it seems noble to rescue birds, there is a considerable risk to your own flock.

A pecked chicken in one flock, is very likely to be a pecked chicken in a new flock. It can be heartless. Pictures of your set up can help us evaluate the situation. A lot of hideouts and escapes are essential.

Mrs K

I am questioning

Do you mean the bird will be 17 weeks old, or it will be 17 weeks until you rescue. Why is this bird in rescue?

Do not take anything you feel sorry for. Anything looking sick, do not mess with, you can ruin your whole flock. Proper quarantine is considerably more than just separating the birds, if you don't properly do the quarantine you may as not do it at all. It is very difficult to do a proper quarantine in a truly back yard set up.

Measure your coop and run. Over crowding birds causes the most problems, and letting them out for a couple of hours does not help if the coop and run are too small.

Adding a single bird is the hardest integration there is. Everyone knows that bird is the new comer and will attack. Adding 3-4 birds will be easier, IF YOU REALLY HAVE THE ROOM.

Letting your old birds out of the coop/run and locking them out and the new bird in, can help let the new bird get used to the set up without being chased for her life, feed along the fence. This can act like the see, but no touch with the added benefit of letting the new bird explore.

The older the bird, the greater the chance of bringing in disease and pests to your flock.

I have added older birds numerous times. I get them from people like me, that keep their flock similar to me. They look healthy. I would not bring in birds from an auction, or from people that show their birds. Both are places a disease can get started.

A lot of people have ruined their flocks by taking in rescue birds. If you would go into a state of decline if you lost your current flock, seriously reconsider this. While it seems noble to rescue birds, there is a considerable risk to your own flock.

A pecked chicken in one flock, is very likely to be a pecked chicken in a new flock. It can be heartless. Pictures of your set up can help us evaluate the situation. A lot of hideouts and escapes are essential.

Mrs K

I edit my post to make it more clear it is just a hen who has been pecked by other hens when they are at the bottom of the pecking order. This hen is coming from a farm where i just got 2 other ones. The new one will be at least 18 weeks. In hindsight i should of picked them up at the same time. I have a coop big enough for 6 chickens with two nesting boxes. They mostly spend their time in the backyard except for the early morning.

 

[aart]

I have a coop big enough for 6 chickens with two nesting boxes.

How big is that in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.
How many birds do you have now, before adding the 'rescue'?

 

[Mrs. K]

Is your coop a pre-fab coop that says it will hold 6 chickens? A lot of them do. Or is it a coop that is more than 24 square feet? Such as a 4 x 6 foot coop.

Being as they are coming from the same place - I would not worry about the quarantine, you all have the same germs unless it was years ago.

I really do not think a victim chicken will do better with your own set up. I believe she will be a victim there too. It can be very difficult to add a single bird. It is really hard to add a single bird in a small set up to an established flock.

If you are determined to do this, separate this bird with the second in command bird. Leaving the most dominant bird and least dominant bird together outside in the yard. The new bird and #2 will have dust ups, but they will be one on one, not 3 to one. Use a high powered squirt gun, to break it up if it gets out of hand, but try to interfere as little as possible, once you put them together.

Let the other in as late as possible to the coop, rinse and repeat for several days. Then let everyone out. It can be done, but it is not for the faint of heart, and it can be pretty ugly until it settles down. But do know, that more than likely, this bird will become a victim again unless you really have more space than I think.

Mrs K

 

[Grayfeather22]

Is your coop a pre-fab coop that says it will hold 6 chickens? A lot of them do. Or is it a coop that is more than 24 square feet? Such as a 4 x 6 foot coop.

Being as they are coming from the same place - I would not worry about the quarantine, you all have the same germs unless it was years ago.

I really do not think a victim chicken will do better with your own set up. I believe she will be a victim there too. It can be very difficult to add a single bird. It is really hard to add a single bird in a small set up to an established flock.

If you are determined to do this, separate this bird with the second in command bird. Leaving the most dominant bird and least dominant bird together outside in the yard. The new bird and #2 will have dust ups, but they will be one on one, not 3 to one. Use a high powered squirt gun, to break it up if it gets out of hand, but try to interfere as little as possible, once you put them together.

Let the other in as late as possible to the coop, rinse and repeat for several days. Then let everyone out. It can be done, but it is not for the faint of heart, and it can be pretty ugly until it settles down. But do know, that more than likely, this bird will become a victim again unless you really have more space than I think.

Mrs K

My coop is a 9’ by 11’ the run is 12 by 15. Two nesting boxes. I currently have 4 birds . Thank you for your reply. I appreciate it.

 

[Grayfeather22]

How big is that in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.
How many birds do you have now, before adding the 'rescue'?

My coop is a 9’ by 11’ the run is 12 by 15. Two nesting boxes. I currently have 4 birds

 

[Mrs. K]

Oh yeah, that would be big enough. Then I would not add one bird, but several birds. Several bird integrate much easier. I was pretty positive you had a pre-fab coop, as they seem to always say up to 6 birds, when in reality they are no where close.

I would add more birds, you have plenty of room. A single bird to a small group is a tough add. Do put hideouts, multiple feed bowls, in the coop, and set it up so that if a bird is eating at one station, they cannot see a bird eating at another. I would have at least 3-4 feed bowls, and two water bowls.

Another reason to add more birds at a younger age, then you have a more multiple generationational flock, which I like for chicken society.

This will work MUCH better with a set up this size...however, she might still be a victim.

Mrs K