Advice on adding new chickens into flock

[Henny0831]

Hi! We have 6 Rhode Island Reds a little over a year old and will hopefully be adding 2 ameraucana, about 12 weeks old, that we are “adopting” from our neighbor. Any tips for integrating the two? Do these breeds typically get along? Also, the one Ameraucana has a crooked beak! That doesn’t have anything to do with integrating but she’s cute!

 

[darkbaysfordays]

If you can make a small area adjacent to your bigger girls so they can meet through a barrier for a week or so, that would help a lot!

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Do a quarantine, which you can find lots to read about. Then a ‘Look but No Touch.’

 

[Ron in Sebring]

What I’ve done over the years is, when mine free ranged, I built a small “pen” in the yard big enough for them to not feel confined and kept them inside for at least a week or two. The others could come over and interact and the new chickens could do the same without really being able to physically harm each other. This let them get to know each other in the same environment that everyone will be living in and everyone got along just fine afterwards. For babies, I put them in a small cage inside the coop and do exactly the same thing...let them interact with the grown ups without really being able to be harmed and again let’s everyone get used to each other in their living environment. Two weeks has been my rule of thumb but yours might vary...just watch them and see how they all do with each other.

 

[Aapomp831]

Definitely quarantine for at least a week to make sure the new chickens don’t have diseases / worms. Make sure everyone can see and hear each other but not touch. After a few weeks of that you can slowly start to integrate them, but plan to be home and able to observe when you first start. A natural pecking order will be established and sometimes it can be hard to watch bc you want to defend your babies, but only intervene if someone is cornered and about to be seriously injured. Then one day you’ll walk outside and 2 birds that initially fought will be chillin’ on the same roost and totally fine with each other.

 

[aart]

Also, the one Ameraucana has a crooked beak! That doesn’t have anything to do with integrating but she’s cute!

Do you really want a bird that is 'handicapped' and may not thrive?

Do a quarantine, which you can find lots to read about.

Quarantine is probably moot as they live next to each other and I assume would already have been exposed by either close contact of birds or the keepers moving between flocks.
BUT....
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/

 

[Henny0831]

Do you really want a bird that is 'handicapped' and may not thrive?

Quarantine is probably moot as they live next to each other and I assume would already have been exposed by either close contact of birds or the keepers moving between flocks.
BUT....
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/

Hi! Thanks for the reply and all the information! Regarding the chicken with the crooked beak. This is my first time experiencing this type of situation with a chicken but everything I’ve read prior to my neighbors giving her to us was that it isn’t a handicap and they can thrive just as well as any other chicken. Maybe I’m wrong? She is growing, eating, and drinking just like the others. She’s a bit more vocal but I’d say that’s the only difference so far. I don’t look at it has a handicap but if you have any experience with this I’d love to hear your perspective.

 

[Crazy Fun Chicken Lady]

I agree they need to be able to see each other without harming each other. The older ones will temporally turn into velociraptors. Its crazy but they will. Eventually they will accept the new peeps but you have to make sure they are safe until that happens. It can take a few weeks.

 

[aart]

Hi! Thanks for the reply and all the information! Regarding the chicken with the crooked beak. This is my first time experiencing this type of situation with a chicken but everything I’ve read prior to my neighbors giving her to us was that it isn’t a handicap and they can thrive just as well as any other chicken. Maybe I’m wrong? She is growing, eating, and drinking just like the others. She’s a bit more vocal but I’d say that’s the only difference so far. I don’t look at it has a handicap but if you have any experience with this I’d love to hear your perspective.

I've seen some bird with cross beaks so extreme they had to be hand fed their entire lives.
Now maybe your 'crooked' is not the 'cross beak' I am thinking of.
A pic of this bird would garner more viable advice.

 

[rosemarythyme]

RIRs can be more aggressive than other breeds but doesn't mean that you can't make this work, you know your flock better than we do.

As far as the crossbeak, photos would be great, but if you can't get them... as long as it's not too severe the bird should do fine. You may need to do maintenance on the beak to help it stay in good condition (I file mine) and/or provide feed that's easier for it to eat (wet feed in a deep dish) or water in a container that's compatible with how it drinks.