Adding new hens to my flock

[Stephnrobby]

I've decided to add 6 more hens to my flock of 9 I currently have. I believe my flock ages are 9 to 12 months now and the new ones are about 6 months. How can I introduce them to the same coop or do they need to stay seperate? I'm still new to the chicken farm just started in June 2019.

 

[B-Goock]

Some people keep them separate but in view of each other "to get used to each other" & quarantine for disease.
I use the put them on the roost in the dark method. In the morning they almost act like they are just supposed to be there. I only use this method if I'm going to be home & can watch them in case there is excessive pecking.
However you do it there will be tussels.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know how much room you have or how your room is set up. That is pretty important. If you have sufficient room it could be pretty easy. If space is tight it could be more of a challenge.

@aart has a copy and paste section that gives the generic recommendations which are as specific as we can get since we don't know what you have to work with. Hopefully she is online and willing to share.

If your six month olds are laying the older ones should treat them as adults. They will sort out the pecking order and soon merge to one flock. It's often a little more violent but is typically quickly settled. The more room the better.

If the young ones are not yet laying they will likely stay separate from the older ones, sort of forming a sub-flock. They will probably avoid the older ones during the day and not sleep on the same roosts at night. If you have enough room for them to avoid the older ones day and night it's usually more peaceful but takes longer. There are always exceptions since you are dealing with living animals but we are talking generic, not specifics. If space is tight it can become quite violent.

 

[aart]

I've decided to add 6 more hens to my flock of 9 I currently have. I believe my flock ages are 9 to 12 months now and the new ones are about 6 months. How can I introduce them to the same coop or do they need to stay seperate? I'm still new to the chicken farm just started in June 2019.

Might be better to wait until spring and add chicks, easier to integrate if your setup is conducive or can be made so.
Wait! What?.....you already have chicks brewing!?:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-day-old-chicks.1346373/

Might want to think about this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

I don't know how much room you have or how your room is set up. That is pretty important. If you have sufficient room it could be pretty easy. If space is tight it could be more of a challenge.

Very important!

@aart has a copy and paste section that gives the generic recommendations which are as specific as we can get since we don't know what you have to work with. Hopefully she is online and willing to share.

But, Of Course!

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/

 

[Mrs. K]

You are nearly doubling your flock. Which will take a lot more room. Space is key as stated above. 15 birds should have a coop about 60 sq feet. So about 6 x 10 feet or 8x8 would be minimum.

Another aspect is age, not in as will these birds get along together, but as in laying patterns.
Your original flock will begin laying well pretty soon. even though the new birds are about three months younger, more than likely they will all go into a hard molt late next fall, and drastically reduce the eggs produced. You basically will have a one generational flock. The 3 months will not make a difference come the fall.

It might be better, to add chicks this spring, those birds will begin laying in the fall and should lay through out the winter. To get more consistent egg laying, one should add and cull each year. Some people don't like to do that.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks Aart, figured I could count on you. Sure saved me a lot of typing.

Wait! What?.....you already have chicks brewing!?:

Do you happen to know where Stephnrobby is located? Could be the middle of summer there as far as I know? Another case where knowing general location might be helpful.

 

[aart]

Wait! What?.....you already have chicks brewing!?:

Do you happen to know where Stephnrobby is located? Could be the middle of summer there as far as I know? Another case where knowing general location might be helpful.

More curious about all the hatching chicks......but...yeah....
@Stephnrobby
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[Stephnrobby]

Thanks everyone for the advice! We live in central Alabama. I'm just gonna stick with my current flock of 9 hens who are laying nicely right now with one rooster but I have got another rooster in past week but he stays seperate from my flock. I'm not adding any new hens just going to hatch what I've got. My flock currently is in a 20x12 coop.

 

[Stephnrobby]

More curious about all the hatching chicks......but...yeah....
@Stephnrobby
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!
View attachment 2010698

I live in clanton Alabama. My hatching eggs are from my rhode island red rooster that has been gone couple weeks due to chicken hawk. My coop is a 20x12

 

[Stephnrobby]

I don't know how much room you have or how your room is set up. That is pretty important. If you have sufficient room it could be pretty easy. If space is tight it could be more of a challenge.

@aart has a copy and paste section that gives the generic recommendations which are as specific as we can get since we don't know what you have to work with. Hopefully she is online and willing to share.

If your six month olds are laying the older ones should treat them as adults. They will sort out the pecking order and soon merge to one flock. It's often a little more violent but is typically quickly settled. The more room the better.

If the young ones are not yet laying they will likely stay separate from the older ones, sort of forming a sub-flock. They will probably avoid the older ones during the day and not sleep on the same roosts at night. If you have enough room for them to avoid the older ones day and night it's usually more peaceful but takes longer. There are always exceptions since you are dealing with living animals but we are talking generic, not specifics. If space is tight it can become quite violent.

I currently have a 20x12 coop. Working on building another coop this weekend for my babies when they get big enough.