can i successfully introduce a 2mo old to 9 month olds?

[SuburbanSue]

Got a friend who has a 2mo old chick from school and needs a home. I have 6 nine month old girls. I worry about them killing it and also about the cold with a little one. We like in NJ, outside NYC, and its winter. any thoughts, suggestions, insight will be appreciated.

 

[BWKatz]

You can do it if u have a run that they go out in in the daytime. Let him out with them and have something like an old milk crate that he can run under and put some food & water under the crate too just to make sure they don't bully him away from all food.U can keep him in a lg box in ur garage/basement/bathroom if nothing else until ur sure its getting along ok about 2 weeks then slip him/her on the roost after ur others have gone to bed. Everyone should get along ok after that.

 

[CMV]

I wouldn't risk it at this point. A 2 month old is much too small to stand up to a 9 month old. That poor bird is going to have a very tough time of integration regardless of age because you are only introducing the single bird. I think that you need to wait until the singleton is at least 4 months old to safely introduce it. In another 2 months the weather will be more conducive to integration anyways.

Good luck.

 

[7L Farm]

Introducing one into a flock can be a real nightmare.Plus the different age your talking. I wouldn't do it. I did it & my soul I will never ever do it again. I intro a DOM to 10 red chickens over a year ago & they still don't get along. They don't hurt her because she runs from them. Poor thing I don't know what to do with her. I have another flock but there the offsprings of the others.

 

[StarLover21]

YOU DON'T!!!!!!!!
The Olders Hens WILL KILL them! I have seen threads about it. Please, please don't try this. They are way too little. Try when they are about 14-18 weeks.

 

[hallerlake]

I have done it. I put a cat carrier in the larger coop, and a dog crate in the run. The young bird spent her nights in the carrier, and her days in the crate, for several weeks. That way the big chickens had a chance to get used to her being in their space, but couldn't hurt her while she got a little more size on her.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I wouldn't do it either, not with a little 8 week old. Integrating a single new bird is really hard, this one is so young, it will be even harder.

LIke 7L Farms I will never again attempt to integrate a single new bird. I did it once but never again. I separated off part of the run for her, kept her in the coop in a wire dog crate at night, let her roam with them in the pasture in the afternoons. This went on for over two months, they still would not accept her in their coop/run. The final time I tried putting her in with them they nearly killed her. I nursed her back and now she just lives free in my barn with a little bantam friend.

You might try it when this young one is a little older but plan on taking your time doing it and also have a backup plan for her in case it doesn't work.