Best way to introduce one new chicken to an established flock?

My integration of a couple of bantams in a standard flock in December didn't go well at all. I will try to sum up the few lessons that maybe could be of use to you.

There are three moments when things can get bad : roosting, feeding, and laying. For when you will be absent, you want to try to make sure Kraai can do all of the three without getting trapped and taking bad pecking. This could mean having two different food stations, and waterer. If you get a chance to see what happens when Kraai lays, you can also adapt and maybe add a nest box. But if she is like Chipie she will try to lay with the other girls even though this means getting attacked.
I believe if you stop putting her in the small coop she may try to join the rest of the flock for roosting. I would maybe give it a try before leaving for vacation, because if I've understood correctly, your neighbour won't be putting her to sleep and won't see what happens.

What did help with my integration was the fact that the newcomers had several places to shelter. Just one place (Kraai's run) may not be enough, as what happened to us was that the older standard hens trapped the bantams in their run by staying in front of the entrance and blocking them. Luckily the bantams could fly better and flew over the entrance of the run into the big coop. Also they found themselves several shelters inside the big coop quite high where the other girls left them in peace.

Although it's too much to ask your neighbour's to watch the chicken's behavior, they can maybe check that Kraai isn't hurt, bleeding in the face, especially in the first days.

Kraai is lovely and it seems the fact that she is the same size more or less as your other chickens helps her with integration. I think it's a good sign that she's standing her ground with some of your chickens, it means she is not too afraid and won't be too badly bullied!
 
Thanks @ManueB ,
Yes, she fits in perfectly sizewise.
Yes, she stands up for herself.

There is already a kind of order. But its a strange one. Ini mini is my chief in command, but she bullies her (not badly, more like chasing? She chases the two youngest (Katrientje & Janice) in the same way.

The two black Dutch (Black & Pearl) leave her alone except when she wants to roost and when food is involved. The food is no problem anymore.

I have a all facilities in the second run. There Kraai can eat, drink, lay an egg and sleep. She hasn’t laid an egg so far.

Kraai doesn’t mind eating in ‘her’ territory. But she tries to sleeps on the roosts with the other chickens if the ‘tiny gate’ between the two runs is open.
If she is roosting the 2 black pirates start to peck her immediately.
She won’t take no for an answer and leave quietly. As a reaction she chases the other 3 chickens. The 3 jump of the roosts and then Kraai chases them around.

After about an half sn hour of trying, fighting and chasing I gave up yesterday evening. Grabbed Kraai snd put her in her own territory with the gate closed again.

Mayby I should let them work it out at a later moment (almost dark) and see what happens then. If it’s really dark , sleeping might be more important than chasing and pecking. :fl :idunno

When we are on vacation the neighbor is willing to check and refill both food stations.
 
Yes, you could wait until all the others are roosted and almost asleep to let her in. Hopefully they won't bother !
Another thing you could do is what we did with Théo and Chipie. You lock her up in the other coop, wait until everyone is really asleep and it is really dark, and pick her up and carry her into the coop with the others. That way she will already be roosting there when they wake up.

Anyway I think I would try to make sure she's able to find a place to roost, or have your neighbour lock her up for the night in the other coop !
 
Problem with putting her on the roost after dark might be that the coop where they roost is quit small. 90cm x 2.70m.
And the pop-door to the run opens after sunrise. About 30 minutes after rise and shine. 😜 But the coop is not far from our bedroom. So I probably wake up if they start to fight tomorrow morning.

Its getting dark soon. The chickens started roosting 5 or 10 minutes ago. But Kraai disturbed the flock . Ini mine and Katrientje fled to the garden. Then Kraai came out to. I’m so lucky she’s very easy to pick up. For now I locked her up in her own territory. And the whole flock started to free range in the garden again.

In half an hour it’s getting dark. I hope it will work if its nearly dark to put her on the roost with the others.

2C7D79DE-E4BF-4977-820B-960284479474.jpeg

The chickens that get chased by Kraai.

I altered the mini coop a little with a small overhanging roof and half a curtain
957C1071-C14B-4B21-87A3-A9CB48C4AC2B.jpeg

6377BD52-5B13-462C-994B-4C616EF0BED2.jpeg

Search for the 5 differences . 😳😜🤣
 
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Problem with putting her on the roost after dark might be that the coop where they roost is quit small. 90cm x 2.70m.
And the pop-door to the run opens after sunrise. About 30 minutes after rise and shine. 😜 But the coop is not far from our bedroom. So I probably wake up if they start to fight tomorrow morning.

Its getting dark soon. The chickens started roosting 5 or 10 minutes ago. But Kraai disturbed the flock . Ini mine and Katrientje fled to the garden. Then Kraai came out to. I’m so lucky she’s very easy to pick up. For now I locked her up in her own territory. And the whole flock started to free range in the garden again.

In half an hour it’s getting dark. I hope it will work if its nearly dark to put her on the roost with the others.

View attachment 3211411
The chickens that get chased by Kraai.

I altered the mini coop a little with a small overhanging roof and half a curtain View attachment 3211429
View attachment 3211432
Search for the 5 differences . 😳😜🤣
It looks like she will have more shade and intimacy!
So how did the roosting go last night the second time 😬 ?
 
It looks like she will have more shade and intimacy!
So how did the roosting go last night the second time 😬 ?

Yesterday evening I was occupied/forgot to bring Kraai back to the roost when it was almost dark. I picked her up after dark,

One chicken, Janice was roosting in the old coop with the laying nests. She always preferred to sleep there when she was chased as she was younger.
It was easier to put Kraai there as it would have been in the extended coop where the other 4 where sleeping. So Kraai and Janice slept together in the old coop with the pop door open, This pop door has a connection to the extended coop.

At sunrise I didn’t hear then making noise. So I think it was okay. There were no cripples and no aggressive behaviour during the day. I let them free range for about 4-5 hours today. They had food in the different runs. But the ‘gate’ was open. And Kraai was pecking grains and fruit along with the other hens.

I let them figure it out this evening. There was a little disturbance but not bery much. Janice decided to roost in the small coop again. The other 5 roost in the extended coop.

51F4BB95-2010-4DA8-95C6-536C48D1AD4C.jpeg

Pecking scratch in the main run
 
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😅 I’m confident that it will be okay to leave the ‘gate’ between the runs open when we leave on Sunday.

💩Today I cleaned both coops and nesting boxes. So they should be fine for a few weeks with enough food and clean water.

🥙 I do ask the neighbour to refill water and feed in several places to avoid quarrelling.
 
Later…
Kraai and the others got used to each other just in time. There were no problems when we were away on our holiday's. Only the neighbour didn't dare to set them free after the first day, because she had trouble to get them inside again.

Returning by the end of august I still had a few days at home before my job started. They were very happy to be free and scratch in the garden.

I noticed that the pecking order definitely changed with Kraai finding her way in the flock. Kraai is quite bossy and is second in line.
They often argue when food is involved. And sometimes when its time to roost too.

Kraai really was a stranger in the group. But now, she and Janice have become friends and spend much time together.
Ooh and she has no manners. When we eat outside she immediately jumps on the table. The other chickens learned they are not allowed on the table. But she acts like a cat. Not obeing and doing whatever she pleases.

Edit: spelling
 
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It seems Kraai is a strong minded chicken. She has excuses, since before she came to your house, she was in a two hen flocks, probably the leader hen, and then she must have been very spoiled by the family's child !
I hope you don't regret taking her in. Her strong will is probably what made her integration easier, and she is a very beautiful girl.
 
It seems Kraai is a strong minded chicken. She has excuses, since before she came to your house, she was in a two hen flocks, probably the leader hen, and then she must have been very spoiled by the family's child !
I hope you don't regret taking her in. Her strong will is probably what made her integration easier, and she is a very beautiful girl.
I had my doubts on my decision to adopt her. But no regrets anymore now.
She is beautiful and she has an interesting character. Never wanted a chicken that’s ‘average’ or ‘one fits all’.

She is less interested in me and MDH since the holidays. Probably she enjoys living in a larger flock and the need for company has changed from humans to chickens.

It’s great to see that the 2 loners in the flock have found each other and became best (naughty) friends.
 

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