Adding new chickens

[Bmeadows]

I currently have some
Chickens out in the coop 2.5 months old and I am adding some new ones in 2 weeks. I have read about the look no touch, that cannot be done. I do not have another coop to add them to. I have also read adding them at night is a good way to add them. My brother has had chickens for a while and he just adds them in with no problems except for the typical pecking order stuff. Any suggestions

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Is the newbies similar in age? At the age of your current ones, too much of an age difference can be very bad.

As far as adding them, I either just throw them in, sneak them in at night, or have everyone free ranging and lead everybody into the same coop.

Once added, expect two weeks for the pecking order to be settled. If any try to hide, stop them and place them together. If they hide, it'll just take longer to settle things and hungry birds. Watch out for any bullies. As in, you start having necks going bald or bloody, remove injured birds immediately. Then figure out who's responsible. I don't think that you'd have any bullies, but keep an eye out just in case.

Something that worked great for me was a very large run. I had the coop in the middle of the run, with lots of space in the run. The birds could be in the run, in the coop, or on the coop. The coop had a low slanted roof, so the birds could climb up it and hang out. With that set up, it gave the chickens space, and made settling a pecking order a breeze. In fact, I had a pullet who suffered from a horrible pecking order and a bully. She was in rough shape. She was so scared of everything including a picture of a chicken on a grain bag. I placed her in that run/set up, and she completely improved and actually settled into the pecking order and wasn't so scared anymore. That just proves how good that set up worked. Their was no harsh pecking order there.

Now if the newbies are same or similar age, the tallest bird wins. At young ages, the birds will stand up tall to decide where to be in the pecking order. There's not really any pecking, just standing up tall. Or in some cases, a shorter bird will jump up and down to make themselves look taller. It's really cute and funny to watch, and it's not as scary or painful for any of them.

 

[aart]

I currently have some
Chickens out in the coop 2.5 months old and I am adding some new ones in 2 weeks. I have read about the look no touch, that cannot be done. I do not have another coop to add them to. I have also read adding them at night is a good way to add them. My brother has had chickens for a while and he just adds them in with no problems except for the typical pecking order stuff. Any suggestions

That can work...or not.
Have a Plan B.

How many birds are we talking about here?
How old are the new ones?

How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.


Even tho you can't do a separate area, might find some good tips here about.....
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. 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/

 

[Ridgerunner]

Any suggestions

My main suggestion is to give us more to work with. How many chicks or chickens in each group and how old will that second group be in two weeks? What do your facilities look like? Size of coop and run in feet or meters. Do yours free range? Photos from outside but also photos inside the coop. What do you have to work with? Your general location might help in case there is something about the weather that could have an influence. Just whether you are north or south of the equator might help some but a little better might help more.

Without knowing what you have to work with we can't do any better than Aart's generic comments. We are each unique, we can't all do all of that.

I have also read adding them at night is a good way to add them.

Sometimes that works great, sometimes you wind up with dead or seriously injured chickens. Sometimes it is that easy, I think having a lot of room really helps with that. I don't do that until mine have shown me that they can get along roaming the same area during the day but I'm sure my facilities look different from yours.

When I do lock mine up at night together I make it a point to be down there at daybreak as they are waking up to see how it is going and open the pop door so they can get out if they need to. Usually it is not a problem but my coop is big enough that I have my brooder in the coop. I start the "look but don't touch" straight out of the incubator.

 

[Bmeadows]

Thanks that’s a lot of info. I have 20 chickens that are 2.5 months old. The 6 new ones I will be adding in two weeks will be 6 weeks old making the original ones 3 months old. The coop is 16x10 and 8’ high. I have an automatic coop door on a timer. I have 5 roosting bars inside starting at 1.5’ high and highest is at 6’. I have 2 feed and 2 water outside in the run. The run is 90’x53’ and they range all day. I have logs, rocks, stumps and there are shrubs for them to hide out in. We also planted a garden for them such as strawberries and other assorted chicken safe veggies. We live in central PA so the weather isn’t too hot or cold. I’d add more pics but it’s pouring down rain right now

 

[aart]

Sure looks like you have enough space to section off part of the coop for the newbies.
Looks like a tiny coop to the right there, is that connected to the inside of the big coop??

 

[Ridgerunner]

That's a nice coop, mine is only an 8 x12, feels like a runt compared to yours. And your run is twice as big as mine. I don't think you are going to have any trouble. I feel kind of giddy thinking about that much room compared to what we normally see on here.

What I'd do is find a place I could build an enclosure inside that coop, maybe with chicken wire since it should be predator safe inside that coop. All you are doing is keeping chickens apart, not worrying about predators. If I built it outside I'd want it predator proof. I'd house the chicks in that for about a week, then one morning let them go. Just open the door to that enclosure and let them come out at their own pace. I've had some groups that would be put on the grass within 15 minutes. Not many but some. I've had groups that might wait until the third day to venture to the great outdoors. I'd do that on a day I could be around, not to stay down here all the time, that might get boring. But occasionally check on them.

At night they may go back in in their own or you might have to lock them inside. Mine often try to sleep in a group just outside the pop door. I just toss them inside on the coop floor after it is dark and easy to catch them and lock the door behind them. If it is dark inside the older ones will not bother them until daylight the next morning. With a coop that size they will probably be OK but I'd be down there at daybreak to check on them until you are confident they will be OK if left locked in longer.

With a run that size I'd be tempted to turn the six loose down there one morning when you could be around, no prep time at all. If those 3 month olds were adults it's the first thing I'd try. It can often be that easy with room. Your situation is nothing like a typical backyard flock where they are squeezed. You have room, such a luxury. You'll pretty much be guaranteed to have to train them to go inside at night his way.