can I integrate one gamefowl hen to my flock

[rosieoreoandpancake]

Hi, thanks to this website I just identified a young hen that was given to us as an American Gray gamefowl. Is it a bad idea to integrate her with my buff orpington, easter egger, and cream legbar? I just read that they can be super aggressive with other birds and wondering if this was a bad idea taking her in. She's beautiful but I don't want anyone injured including her.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I don't think it would be bad, since it's a hen. It's the males that are more aggressive to other males mainly.

@roosterhavoc Would know though probably

 

[roosterhavoc]

I don't think it would be bad, since it's a hen. It's the males that are more aggressive to other males mainly.

@roosterhavoc Would know though probably

Yeah hens can be an issue but they usually work it out pretty quickly. I keep game hens loose year round and the layers get let out every day. There’s some minor fighting here and there but it’s rare that I actually have to remove one.

 

[Mrs. K]

A lot depends on your set up, size and shape of the housing and run. Crowding is tolerated by some breeds better than others. The game birds, I think need more space. Often times when people come here, with very small flocks of 3-4, they are already short on space. If that is the case, I would not add her.

Adding a single bird can be tricky to an established flock. Lack of space can make that tougher too.

I would try it, but if it is not going well in a week - I would not keep her. If that is not an option, don't take her.

Mrs K

 

[rosieoreoandpancake]

Thank you for your replies

A lot depends on your set up, size and shape of the housing and run. Crowding is tolerated by some breeds better than others. The game birds, I think need more space. Often times when people come here, with very small flocks of 3-4, they are already short on space. If that is the case, I would not add her.

Adding a single bird can be tricky to an established flock. Lack of space can make that tougher too.

I would try it, but if it is not going well in a week - I would not keep her. If that is not an option, don't take her.

Mrs K

thank you for your reply! So a month ago, we had two buffs- one passed away. So I got the cream legbar and easter egger. We've now had them for 4 weeks so do you think they are still establishing pecking order and adding this little gamefowl won't feel like such a shock since they were just added- or do you feel like they already feel established. And do you feel like those breeds could still seriously hurt her? My other concern is how tiny this gamefowl is compared to them. We are in a neighborhood but here is our setup.

 

[Mrs. K]

Looking at the posture of your birds, I think would be a go. You do have more space than I expected, but I would like to point out (as politely as possible) your run is boring. While the sides are very tall, you and your chickens are not making any use of that vertical space.

You could increase the chances of this going much better by adding a lot of clutter, pallets, ladders, sawhorses, roosts, small pieces of plywood. This creates places where birds can step out of sight, where you can place an extra feed bowl, out of sight of others, where birds can get away from each other. Flying up to a perch, gives them a bit of better exercise.

Right now, every bird can see every other bird 100% of the time. I would change that. Adding more clutter, actually even gives birds more space, as they can be under or on top of the same place.

Again, judging the posture of your birds, I would add the clutter and turn the new one out.

MRs K

 

[rosieoreoandpancake]

Thank you so so much for your response! I will do that asap. I thought they wanted a lot of free space to forage and dig around but I hear you re utilizing the vertical space more!!

 

[Pollito Pelon]

I have a game hen with layers free range and once they set pecking order they all hang out nicely and bathe together with my buff and NN.

 

[rosieoreoandpancake]

We just tried to integrate her and the ee and buff pinned her down and we had to break it up. Because she's lived alone her whole life I'm not sure she knows how to defend herself or swiftly run away. We separated them again. Is some pinning down normal? Shes so tiny compared to them and is 14/15 weeks

 

[JacinLarkwell]

We just tried to integrate her and the ee and buff pinned her down and we had to break it up. Because she's lived alone her whole life I'm not sure she knows how to defend herself or swiftly run away. We separated them again. Is some pinning down normal? Shes so tiny compared to them and is 14/15 weeks

Yes. They're showing her her place in the pecking order. Have they seen her before?