Chicken Introduction Issues

[Sammer]

Hello,

I am new to chickens and am having some problems. A stray laying hen (we think golden sexlink) started living in my yard and we decided to keep her after a month. She's very friendly with us and loves attention. We now have a coop and a decent sized fenced run, but wanted her to be part of a flock.

We just purchased two chickens and did our research. One is a laying Easter Egger and the other is a cuckoo maran not yet laying but not really young or small. The two new ones came from the same reputable homestead, but were in different pens. They have no issues getting along, are shy, and aren't super human friendly yet.

Upon initial introduction, after a visual through the fence, the two new ones went to the coop and were drinking and eating. The sexlink seemed put off and a bit scared. I know they need to establish their pecking order so we left them alone. They roosted together the first night, but in the morning the sexlink was clearly dominating. She was pecking, chasing, and very talkative. She never drew blood, and the two new chickens aren't asserting themselves, accepting the lower status. But the sexlink isn't really letting them leave the coop, eat, or drink. At one point she was standing on top of the (larger) Easter Egger, while the Easter Egger did nothing but cower in the corner. When the sexlink got off of her, she remained cowering in the corner for some time.

I'm trying to stay out of it, but we live in a very hot climate (NM) and they NEED water. Water is in the coop and in the run, but the new chickens won't leave the upstairs roost area for the downstairs water or food. What should we do? Here are photos of them.

 

[BYCforlife]

I would suggest you either put food and water up in the roost area, or else take them out of the roost area and lock them out of it. They don't NEED a roost, they just like it.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Hello! I don't raise chickens yet but know a lot of people who do and have learned a great deal here a byc.
I hear that it can take a long time for chickens to accept each other and get along . . . I am having a hard time myself introducing new ducks to my flock as well.
The advice I hear a lot of people giving is to put new ones in a separate pen inside the coop for a while and let them get used to each other that way so that no one gets hurt or kept from eating drinking etc.

 

[ashleyr]

A good thing to do is have a few feed and water stations, in and out of the coop, the sex link can't guard them all at once Also, you could put things in the run that the other chickens can hide behind when they want to get away. Everyone will all get along eventually!

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!
Good first post.
It may take awhile, give them plenty of space and multiple waterers and feeders.

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.


Another option, if possible, is to put all birds in a new coop and run, this takes the territoriality issues away.

 

[Sammer]

Thank you guys so much! I did a visual introduction first, but only for one day. Originally we had planned on longer, but the place I got the new ones from said that if I kept the new ones together for too long that they will gang up on the original sexlink so I should just put them together. Should I have left them apart for longer?

I currently have 4 watering stations (3 outside the coop, and one inside) and the food is scattered daily. I will get them actual stations though. The two new ones seem so afraid that they don't want to leave their roost so maybe I will need to lock them out of it. I made them leave it this morning and they went for the water right away. The sexlink immediately went after them. If they tried a different water station, she went for them. They eventually got some water when they split up because she could only go after one at a time. I fully expected there would be some pecking and bickering, I just wasn't expecting the old one to keep them away from food and water.

I'll try adding some more hiding places for them also. I only have a stump in their run and then inside their coop they have the house upstairs, which is where they want to be exclusively.

Hopefully they start to get settled in more! The new ones show no interest in asserting dominance and seem to have accepted their lower ranks. It just seems like the sexlink hasn't accepted that yet though.

 

[aart]

Should I have left them apart for longer?

Maybe. Yes, probably. Still could.

and the food is scattered daily.

They don't have feeders? They really should have access to all they can eat 24/7(well, they wont' feed when they are sleeping). Not having enough feed could make them more territorial.

Introducing 2 to 1 can be more difficult than larger numbers in larger spaces.
You might think about using two enclosures then mixing and matching who is with whom to shake things up. Letting the 2 new out and about to feed freely while the 1 is confined, then switching it up. Chicken Juggling!

 

[Sammer]

Thanks everyone! The chickens seem to be doing a bit better. We have four water stations and four food stations. The sexlink is allowing the others to eat and drink now, but she is still a bully and will chase and peck them throughout the day. We've started to hang grapes in various places to provide some more distractions. The two new ones are still scared of the old one, and they immediately run away from her if she begins to approach. But, I think they are making progress. No one has been seriously injured. The new laying hen has laid an egg, though the original sexlink has stopped laying for the time. I hope they get their order figured out and start to get along.

 

[aart]

The two new ones are still scared of the old one, and they immediately run away from her if she begins to approach.

Normal chicken behavior.....but can be tortuous for us keepers to watch!
You kind of get used to it, and learn when to intervene and when to just watch and wince.
There will always be birds pecking other birds, it's just how they roll.
If you watch closely the pecked usually just moves away and might even move back,
they really don't seem to mind the peck as it's part of their 'language'.