Adding Chickens--HELP

[dfinley]

So, we had a flock of 4 that were/are 11 weeks old. Two of our 4 ended up being roosters so we parted with them on Saturday. We go to additional hens today--1-14 weeks old and 1-11 weeks old as well. The two we got today had been part of a huge (30 bird flock at a friends farm).

Any advice to integrating them will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks...

 

[BuffOrpington88]

To avoid bullying when introducing chickens, first allow the flocks to see each other through a fence. After they have become accustomed to each other, allow them to interact while free ranging. The extra space and distractions will allow the newcomers to escape if they are pecked. Then, it is best to leave them in the coop at night when they are sleeping. The two flocks should also be comparable in size before being integrated. For example, 1 week old Wyandottes should not be put with a flock of 3 year old Jersey Giants.

If you notice only occasional bullying behavior, fill a tin can with pebbles and pennies, then put duct tape over the top. Keep this by the coop. Whenever you see bullying behavior, immediately shake the can. The chickens will stop what they’re doing to find out what that awful noise is. If you do this consistently, they should stop.

(Sorry about the font, I'm not quite sure what happened)

 

[chapier]

I have 2 new birds I have added to 7 I all ready have I will try the rocks in a can
and see if it works
thank you Charlotte of hazel green al

 

[kmollyhughes]

I did a pen for the new girls inside my larger run. Let them see each other....but no touching. Then when free ranging older girls I let them all mingle. They just have to work things out...so grit your teeth and if no blood is drawn, don't interfere. For my large flock it's usually the lower ranking that are the roughest with the new girls. Tired of being at the bottom I suppose. They'll get over it. If someone's getting hurt, pull her, put her back in the smaller pen and try again a a couple days. Good luck! Don't stress.