Adding a Hen

[nicklegoose]

I currently have four Rhode Island Reds approximately 1 1/2 years old. A friend's brother started the year raising several chicks and all but one have met the fox! He acknowledges that he perhaps shouldn't be raising chickens until he fixes the fox problem and want to give me his remaining bird, a 4 month old Cochin.

What is the best way for me to introduce these birds? Do I need to keep them separate in the beginning?

 

[RSAChickenDude]

You will usually be able to add hens to a flock quite easily if there is a rooster around as he will most likely accept her immediately.But adding cocks is a completely different thing the best time to add them is at night when the other chickens are sleeping and perched just prop him on the perch next to a hen.

 

[nicklegoose]

I have no rooster, currently have 4 hens, so this new one would be the fifth.

I am not sure if the age difference matters

 

[NGT ANGL]

When adding to the flock, I make sure that the newbies are somewhat close in size to the existing flock firstly. Then after a quarantine period (for the health of the flock) I put them in pens somewhat close where they can see and hear each other for a couple of days - gradually moving the pens closer together. After several days of this, I will add the newbie to the flock. A lot of people say to add them at night when they are roosting and that is solid advice but I have always put mine together during the day so that I could observe the behavior and make sure the new addition is faring well. There will be a period where they are establishing a pecking order but it is good to be there and make sure it doesn't get out of hand.

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. I quarantine my birds for at least a month before I put them together. I keep them far enough apart for no contact but close enough so they can see each other. Also like the previous post I integrate my birds when they are free ranging with plenty of treat. I have had a couple of bully hens but all is well now and they have worked out their pecking order.

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

If you add it at night, the next day there will probably be a spat, but this will heal with time. (They are just establishing their pecking order)

 

[marie8808]

How long does it take to establish the pecking order? I'm merging a barred rock hen (19 weeks old) and an ameraucana hen (15 weeks old). We moved the ameraucana over at night as other posters have recommended. The next morning the ameraucana was getting very much hen-pecked! In fact the barred rock was not only pulling out feathers but eating them! Is this normal? How much abuse should we let the ameraucana take? We've separated them again since I can't be there to supervise them for long periods of time until Saturday.

All words of wisdom are helpful!

 

[The Zoo]

I started integrating my 2 easter eggers with my 2 barred plymouth rocks when they were about 8 weeks and it took a long time and I'm still working on things.
We had a little coop that we put inside the outdoor pen so the EE's and the BPR could see each other but not touch. I'd let them freerange under my supervision only. It has taken about 2 months at least and now I can let them out to freerange but the BPR still chase the EE's a little bit. At night I have to put the EE's in the coop or they'll roost on top of their little perch in the pen. The BPR are definitely bossy.