Best Integration Methods?

[Gray Farms]

I quarantine any new birds for roughly 30 days. Then I just put them straight in. Sometimes they fight, sometimes they don't.

 

[Shadrach]

Quarantine is the best method of integration.
It will give you time to get to know the new arrivals and them to get to know you and time to think about how to integrate them when the time comes.

 

[kwhites634]

I will be picking up two four month old black LF Cochin pullets the day after tomorrow. What are the best methods of integration? Is the "see, but don't touch" method reliable? Does it work well? Or are there better options out there. Any advice is much appreciated.

The 1st time I had to integrate, I'd had the newcomer, a rooster, in quaranteen for two weeks, in sight of the six hens. When I tured him with them, it took him about 10 seconds to breed one; no problems ever.
The 2nd time, the newcomers were a pair I'd hatched in an icubator & kept in an adjoinig run, by themselves, 'til they were about the same size as the others. No major problems once they were all together.
The last time, I let a broody hen do everything. No integration at all, even with the rooster in the same coop/run. Definitely the way to go, IMO!

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I do what I call “Drop Integration” where I just add the new bird or birds to the flock and let them work it out. It’s worked just fine for me and I’ve done it with 4 birds all added separately. Even with a look no touch integration the birds will squabble when they are physically together. It takes about 2 weeks for the flock to accept the newcomer.
The birds that I have drop integrated were all 5+ months of age. I wouldn’t integrate any bird under 3 months of age with this method.

 

[Table4Six]

I do what I call “Drop Integration” where I just add the new bird or birds to the flock and let them work it out. It’s worked just fine for me and I’ve done it with 4 birds all added separately. Even with a look no touch integration the birds will squabble when they are physically together. It takes about 2 weeks for the flock to accept the newcomer.
The birds that I have drop integrated were all 5+ months of age. I wouldn’t integrate any bird under 3 months of age with this method.

Thank you for your insight. I did this method. I agree that squabbles will happen either way, it’s the pecking order, nothing will change that. However, since Cochins are a more laid back breed this was all done under my supervision. My hens showed only minor aggression to assert their dominance, and the majority didn’t even peck the new girls. I personally don’t think age is really relevant, at least in my case, I think it has mostly to do with the personality of the chicken, whether they’re domineering or mellow.

 

[NNYchick]

I do think breed plays a big part but I recently add 4 seramas hen/pullets in with my silkies. Quarantine was worst than intergration, the serama hens bullied the pullets and the poor girls are missing so tail feathers. When I put the seramas in the coop I had my husband install higher roost as the seramas fly and the silkies don't but it wasn't needed. I put them in and they went over to the water, feeder and then started dust bathing and within in minutes the silkies joined then in the dust, I guess in chicken world a family that grooms together stays together It was just another day in the neighbor hood no bickering at all.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Our original flock is very peaceful but contains no white birds. We tried to integrate 4 white birds and 1 that's ginger and blue. The ginger and blue one has been accepted no problem, even though she's a Silkie. The 4 white (non Silkie) birds are still needing their own separate space after 6 months or they are the recipients of some nasty comb pecking. I'm hoping when we move house and they are in a completely new space everyone just gets over it.

That's interesting! I am new to chickens, but I've read in multiple sources that birds of a similar feather do flock together. I have a white Cochin. She's my only white pullet, but she's fully accepted. I raised them together, though. That must be the difference.

I had hoped to get more pullets come spring and get a variety of colors and types. The more I read, the more I think that may not be such a grand idea...

 

[chicky-little]

I have successfully added 3 groups or 2-3 birds this way. We put the new birds in an extra large dog crate and house them in it for 2 days in one of the corners of the pen. This way everyone can squawk, peck, etc... but no one gets hurt. On the third day we open it up early while everyone is still roosting. We leave the main door wide open so there is a very obvious escape route if needed. There is still some minimal pecking to establish order, but never any real issues. By the third day most of their pecking has subsided and the new additions are old news.
We only do our full intros on weekends when we are home so we can keep an eye on things for the first bit and do frequent check ins.

 

[springvalley123]

I'm looking to do a reverse integration also. I've got 15 amberlink and 12 sapphire gem pullets hatched 11/19/18, they're 8 wks but due to temperatures I've had to err on the side of babying them vs freezing them, but in a few weeks they'll be phased off the heat altogether. The older birds are 4 naked neck pullets from 3/26/18 who've been laying since this past august. Right now they're in adjacent runs. I plan to put up more escape areas/obstacles, and could use the yard (.3 acre). Any thoughts? The turkens are fairly docile but have been somewhat vocal about the babies. The babies are very tame and also known for being docile, and will mature at 4-5 lbs, smaller than the turkens I think.

 

[Mrs. K]

Once I was adding chicks to a flock. And they peep all the time, and run crazy and I swear, my rooster finally could not take it any more and just jumped up and down and Huffed. Instant silence, dead run to the safe zone. He looked just like a dad with his hands on his hips.

He had had it, I laughed till I cried.

Mrs K