Adding to my flock

[aembry1]

I am so excited! I am going to my cousin's house this weekend and getting 5 more chickens from her to add to my flock. She has reluctantly decided to sell her entire flock due to unforeseen circumstances and not being able to give them the attention they need. I have helped her to rehome the last of her flock. I will be bringing around 12 back with me to take to other homes. I am excited to get these lovely ladies and introduce them to my flock.

 

[chickenlittle21]

Exciting! How many chickens do you currently have?

 

[aembry1]

Exciting! How many chickens do you currently have?

I currently have 9 - 8 hens and a rooster. Only 1 hen is laying right now. The 5 hens I am picking up on Saturday are all laying

 

[aart]

Got good space for them all?

Consider biological/medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article


Here's some tips 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.

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/

 

[aembry1]

Got good space for them all?

Consider biological/medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article


Here's some tips 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.

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/

We worked on this today. Thank you so much for the great ideas!

 

[aembry1]

We worked on this today. Thank you so much for the great ideas!

We worked on this today. Thank you so much for the great ideas!
[/QUOT
Yes, we have room for them all. We are even already working on a larger open run and a winter coop for all of them

 

[aembry1]

Thank you for the advice. The new hens are here and are separated from the original flock. The OG flock is highly interested in these new girls and are very vocal. I have made more water and food areas. We are also going to make our run a little bigger with areas to hide in there.

The new girls seem pretty happy here and my cousin and I were both surprised that two of her girls left me a nice gift within a few hours of getting to their new home.

Another new project we are going to begin working on soon is converting our old storage building into a winter coop.