Adding new chickens

[Leopold]

Hello everyone

My name is Leopold (Leo for short)

Although this is my first time posting here I have been reading the forums here for almost 6 months. I currently have a small flock 1 Roo with 2 Hens and over the last couple of weeks I put a crate inside the coop with my 2, 10 week olds and today for the 2nd time I opened the cage and let them trying to mix and match a little bit and today seems to be better than the rest of the days.

The big Roo and hens actually went inside the crate and looked around and they didn't chase the smaller ones. But my smaller chicks are still afraid so they just ran to the back. But the Roo is not going after them like he did the first time I put the crate in there. So what should I expect next should I watch them all day to make sure they is no crazy fighting or should I just let them get their pecking order settled? I have heard about horror stories of the Roo killing the smaller ones so I am nervous as heck.

Thanks in advance everyone

 

[sourland]

10 week olds are a little small to integrate with grown birds, but things seem to be going okay. Just closely monitor things so that they do not become injured.

 

[Leopold]

Well my Roo and 2 Hens are 14 week olds

 

[Leopold]

Does that make a difference? That they are only 4-5 weeks apart in age. Also they are pretty close to the size of the older birds maybe 70% of their size

 

[aart]

Welcome out of the BYC closet

FYI.....semantics, maybe, but can be important communication terms when discussing chicken behavior.
Female chickens are called pullets until one year of age, then they are called hens.
Male chickens are called cockerels until one year of age, then they are called cocks(or cockbirds or roosters).
Age in weeks or months is also a good thing to note.


Too bad they are so close in size......I integrate younger so crate can have small openings were youngers can get in to shelter but older birds cannot...but I digress.

The fact that they are all younger, and about the same size, might help...
...but territoriality still applies. Any bird can severely injure, or(rarely) kill any other bird.

Knowing more about your setup, pics really help, might garner more specific things to try....but yes, keep an eye on them when they are together physically, they might settle in quick, or not.

Maybe you've read all this before but:
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.

This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock