Advice on Introducing New Chicks?

[Dancing With Chickens]

This is my first time introducing new chickens into my old flock. I've got a pretty good idea on how I'm going to do it, but I'm just wondering if you guys have any tricks you've picked up! Here's my plan and current situation:

• My plan is to begin introducing them at about 5 weeks. I live in southern NC, so it's still warm (mid 70's) that time of the year. It'll be middle to end of November when I begin introducing, as the chicks hatch Oct. 15.
• I'll put the chicks in a pen inside of the run where my older birds can look at them for a week, but not peck at them. By then the chicks will be 5-6 weeks. After the week is over, I'm going to actually introduce the new birds while free ranging. Once I put them in after an hour or two, I'll have multiple food and water stations so no fighting will occur. I also have perches around the run where the chicks can fly up to get away. I'm going to make sure the chicks know the house is they're safe place as well so that way they don't end up sleeping outside. Treat distraction will be happening also! If any severe bullying happens I will repeat till it calms down. My birds are pretty calm, but that can all change in a blink of an eye!
• For my situation, my exsisting flock is 7 chickens (1 Lavender Orpington, two Favaucanas, two Olive Eggers, and two Cuckoo Marens) from My Pet Chicken, a good hatchery. They're all happy and live in a very clean pen, so I don't have any fears of illness. The new chicks are a flock of 6 (two Black Copper Marens, one Blue Laced Wyandotte, one Lavender Orpington, and two Blue Ameraucanas) from Meyer Hatchery, another good hatchery. They are going to be placed in a clean garage, so I'm hoping no illness!
• I'm actually going up north for a week over Christmas, which is why I'm doing the intergration at a younger age. I think leaving them all together will be better than making a neighbor come in my garage, give them clean water and food (they get woodchips everywhere LOL!) and then go check on the older birds. Besides, my pen in the garage won;t be big enough for 8-10 week old chickens anyways.

I'm hoping this process is going to go well, so please share you're advice! We could all learn something from each other

 

[Dancing With Chickens]

This is my first time introducing new chickens into my old flock. I've got a pretty good idea on how I'm going to do it, but I'm just wondering if you guys have any tricks you've picked up! Here's my plan and current situation:

• My plan is to begin introducing them at about 5 weeks. I live in southern NC, so it's still warm (mid 70's) that time of the year. It'll be middle to end of November when I begin introducing, as the chicks hatch Oct. 15.
• I'll put the chicks in a pen inside of the run where my older birds can look at them for a week, but not peck at them. By then the chicks will be 5-6 weeks. After the week is over, I'm going to actually introduce the new birds while free ranging. Once I put them in after an hour or two, I'll have multiple food and water stations so no fighting will occur. I also have perches around the run where the chicks can fly up to get away. I'm going to make sure the chicks know the house is they're safe place as well so that way they don't end up sleeping outside. Treat distraction will be happening also! If any severe bullying happens I will repeat till it calms down. My birds are pretty calm, but that can all change in a blink of an eye!
• For my situation, my exsisting flock is 7 chickens (1 Lavender Orpington, two Favaucanas, two Olive Eggers, and two Cuckoo Marens) from My Pet Chicken, a good hatchery. They're all happy and live in a very clean pen, so I don't have any fears of illness. The new chicks are a flock of 6 (two Black Copper Marens, one Blue Laced Wyandotte, one Lavender Orpington, and two Blue Ameraucanas) from Meyer Hatchery, another good hatchery. They are going to be placed in a clean garage, so I'm hoping no illness!
• I'm actually going up north for a week over Christmas, which is why I'm doing the intergration at a younger age. I think leaving them all together will be better than making a neighbor come in my garage, give them clean water and food (they get woodchips everywhere LOL!) and then go check on the older birds. Besides, my pen in the garage won;t be big enough for 8-10 week old chickens anyways.

I'm hoping this process is going to go well, so please share you're advice! We could all learn something from each other

Also, my "older birds" are currently 16 weeks, and will be about to lay when I begin introducing.

 

[Helloworld]

I wouldn’t release any into a new flock, caged or not until 16 weeks. Unless it is big enough to be able to set up food/water in the middle of cage or hardware clothed. Putting them in a cage will make your other hens fight, keep babies from eating and could be bad.

 

[SueT]

I have introduced much as you describe, at 5-6 weeks where they can see each other in divided run, also I divided the coop which gives them a place to retreat to whenever they want. But I have waited another month before letting them try being together. I have introduced newbies 3X this way. It's a lot of work.

 

[Helloworld]

Good to go!

 

[Dancing With Chickens]

I wouldn’t release any into a new flock, caged or not until 16 weeks. Unless it is big enough to be able to set up food/water in the middle of cage or hardware clothed. Putting them in a cage will make your other hens fight, keep babies from eating and could be bad.

Thanks! I'm defiantly in a pickle, and have been researching like crazy! For their pen i'm going to build in the run, the chicks are going to have their own feed and water and won't physically be able to interact with my older birds for a week or two after, and won;t be able to sleep with them until they are a little bigger

 

[Dancing With Chickens]

I have introduced much as you describe, at 5-6 weeks where they can see each other in divided run, also I divided the coop which gives them a place to retreat to whenever they want. But I have waited another month before letting them try being together. I have introduced newbies 3X this way. It's a lot of work.

Ok thanks! Yes, I was reading how much work it is, but it will be worth it!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Assuming you have the space for it, I would go the other way and introduce the chicks earlier to the flock by brooding outside. The smaller they are, the less the adults will feel threatened, and the easier it is to make obstacles that only the chicks will fit through versus the adults. I know aart in particular has detailed early integration notes here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

My notes are a lot less detailed as I only casually documented the process when added chicks earlier this year. My chicks were mingling with the adults at 3 weeks and roosting with the adults before 6 weeks old: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/short-on-time-recycle-a-prefab-brooder.73985/

 

[aart]

Here's another way to house chicks within the coop and give them early access to flock. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...chicks-with-adult-hens.1244000/#post-19962696

Brooding in coop and integrating young(4-6wks) is by far the easiest way to integrate.
Tiny birds are less of a 'threat' to older birds, plus they are fast as hell and harder to catch.

You still follow the....
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.