Adding new hens to an existing flock

[jayceesue]

I have had three red sex link he s for four months now and have had zero eggs. After posting here several times and talking to local people, I determined that my hens were older than the seller told me and have most likely laid out. So. We bought four Cinnamon Queens last Friday. I have two coops set up in a larger fenced in pen. I have kept the two groups separate - letting the original trio out to free range in the morning and keeping the new girls inside the fenced pen. I put th new girls up in their coop and then let the original girls back in the pen and they go to their coop. I have separate food and water set up for both groups.

I read in Raising Chickens for Dummies that you should let the two groups see each other without having contact witheach other for 3-4 days, which will be tomorrow.

I did get one egg from the new group yesterday but nothing today. That is exciting!

so, any tips for putting them all together???

 

[Perris]

hello jayceesue

Did you miss the bit in Raising chickens for dummies about quarantine? It's too late now, but let's hope for the best, and you should keep an eye out for illness in either flock for the next couple of weeks, as they could infect each other with whatever they may be carrying, and some things are much easier if they are nipped in the bud.

Have they interacted at all either side of fencing?

 

[thepick4uchicks]

hello jayceesue

Did you miss the bit in Raising chickens for dummies about quarantine? It's too late now, but let's hope for the best, and you should keep an eye out for illness in either flock for the next couple of weeks, as they could infect each other with whatever they may be carrying, and some things are much easier if they are nipped in the bud.

Have they interacted at all either side of fencing?

Yep Warm welcomes! The part about the two week quarantining was on the tip of my tongue but you blew that. However, this is not the first time so be that as it may just watch them super closely for any signs of illnesses as closely as you are watching for signs of them not getting along or boredom. These things are like feather picking, signs of blood spots on their feathers, feathers laying on the ground, damage on their eyes, and damage around their vent. Make sure they are eating and drinking enough. Mine are getting board in their brooder boxes and are ready for their coop and run and it is driving me nuts also. I separated my 9 into a group of 4 and one of 5. One of my food bullies is pouting. I’m not sure she is eating and drinking good nor are her other buddies left in the pen with her who always do so j am worried about it. I don’t know if she is guarding or not. I hope she is not guarding too much. We will see. I have to go. We will see.

 

[aart]

I read in Raising Chickens for Dummies that you should let the two groups see each other without having contact witheach other for 3-4 days, which will be tomorrow ....
so, any tips for putting them all together???

Might need to go longer than 3-4 days.

Here's some tips about....
Consider biological/medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article

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/

 

[jayceesue]

hello jayceesue

Did you miss the bit in Raising chickens for dummies about quarantine? It's too late now, but let's hope for the best, and you should keep an eye out for illness in either flock for the next couple of weeks, as they could infect each other with whatever they may be carrying, and some things are much easier if they are nipped in the bud.

Have they interacted at all either side of fencing?

I did miss the quarantine part but hopefully that won’t be an issue since the new girls came with shots and worming.

I have seen them all huddled around the fencing and even found one of the original hens inside with the new hens and found two of the new hens outside the pen free ranging. I found the fence area where they may have escaped...

 

[jayceesue]

Yep Warm welcomes! The part about the two week quarantining was on the tip of my tongue but you blew that. However, this is not the first time so be that as it may just watch them super closely for any signs of illnesses as closely as you are watching for signs of them not getting along or boredom. These things are like feather picking, signs of blood spots on their feathers, feathers laying on the ground, damage on their eyes, and damage around their vent. Make sure they are eating and drinking enough. Mine are getting board in their brooder boxes and are ready for their coop and run and it is driving me nuts also. I separated my 9 into a group of 4 and one of 5. One of my food bullies is pouting. I’m not sure she is eating and drinking good nor are her other buddies left in the pen with her who always do so j am worried about it. I don’t know if she is guarding or not. I hope she is not guarding too much. We will see. I have to go. We will see.

THanks for the information. I have seen some feathers around the pen era where the new hens are but as I watch them, they seem to be content with each other. I did catch one of the original hens inside with them Sunday and got her back out so those feathers may have been pecked out by her. I have three sets of food and water around so everyone is getting enough.

 

[jayceesue]

Might need to go longer than 3-4 days.

Here's some tips about....
Consider biological/medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article

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/

This is great information. Thank you so much! I am hopeful that they will all get along together sooner at her than later!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yours free range. Are the new ones returning to where they are supposed to sleep on their own? Sounds like they are. Then I'd let them out to free range together and see how it goes. Some are already peacefully mingling.

I grew up on a farm where the chickens free ranged. If Dad or our neighbors brought home new chickens they'd just take them to the hen house area and turn them loose. They might sleep in trees or a hay barn instead of the hen house, but they had others that did too. You probably don't want that so make sure they are sleeping where they are supposed to.

Times were a little more relaxed but there is a huge difference in trying to integrate grown chickens when they free range versus keep them in a small coop/run together. It may not work, you might have to fall back on Aart's suggestions. Those are good suggestions, especially for backyard flocks in limited space. Try this when you can observe, you may need to intervene.

If they want to sleep in different places for a while, let them. They may move in together, you may eventually need to put them in the main coop at night. I'd wait to do that after they have free ranged together for a while, probably a week or two. The bigger the coop the better.

If your space were more limited I'd suggest you be more careful. If one set were immature juveniles I'd be more careful. But with all adults and this much room it just might be this easy.

 

[jayceesue]

Thanks!!! The free range is approximately half an acre with cattle fencing. The pen is about 30x50 with mesh netting. Both coops lock up at night. The new hens don’t go into their coop too easily yet but they do let me pick them up rather easily so I may let them free range together this afternoon and see what happens.

 

[jayceesue]

Thanks!!! The free range is approximately half an acre with cattle fencing. The pen is about 30x50 with mesh netting. Both coops lock up at night. The new hens don’t go into their coop too easily yet but they do let me pick them up rather easily so I may let them free range together this afternoon and see what happens.

I sure appreciate your comments!