Does baby powder work

[Rhode island Rooster]

hi! I recently got some different chickens and I wanted to mix them with my other chickens but from recent experiences that did not work. The chickens would peck each other. I was talking to a guy I know about this and he said that baby powder works to sprinkle on the chickens when you mix the chickens. So i was wondering 2 things, 1 does anyone do this, 2 if so does it work?

 

[junebuggena]

Baby powder is not going to do anything. It's not called the pecking order for nothing. Chickens take their social structure very seriously, and do not take kindly to strange birds. A smooth integration requires a ton of space (about 15 sq ft per bird or more) and is best if you can keep both groups near each other, but separated, so they can get to know each other in safety. After a couple weeks, you can then let everyone mingle. Multiple food and water stations and having lots of things in the run to break up sightlines can help reduce tensions. Regardless, there will be pecking and squabbling.

 

[Chickassan]

Nooo baby powder will only make them smell good. Mixing chickens takes a good couple of weeks of letting them see each other but only interacting through a barrier and then another maybe couple of months of them figuring out where everyone belongs in the social order.

 

[speckledhen]

Baby powder is a new one on me. Wonder where folks get stuff like that? Knowing chickens as I do, baby powder will do nothing except maybe make them sneeze. As junebuggena said, they have to work out who is in what position and nothing will stop that. It may look brutal to us at times, and it can be, but it is part of their world.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

Baby powder sounds a bit off... but I have actually written an article on this myself.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-chickens-step-by-step.72815/

 

[RcoM]

Hi there! I'm offering a fresh perspective on this. I use the gradual integration approach but my hubby also heard from a video of old Maltese man that they sprinkle baby powder onto all the chicken tails and backs while perched at night. Then they slip the equally sprinkled newbies in. So I tried it, as follows.
My rooster needed additional girls as he came of age. He only had one in his (big) cage. They were familiar through the fence only. I powdered them all up and slipped 2 relatively new hens on the perch Friday night. The next morning (yesterday) there was not a single squabble or sound at dawn, or after, as they seamlessly integrated!! My theory is that it works as a distraction. They are so busy preening the strange powder off, that they forgot to fight! They even shared at feeding time. So for the moment I think the combined approach could be ideal. I even got the very first egg of the season from the introduced older hen, today (Sunday). She's only been in the new coop with the new flock and roo, for one day! Very happy with the integration. Was like a dream.

 

[saysfaa]

Did I understand right? You added two hens to a single rooster? No other birds were involved?

 

[RcoM]

Did I understand right? You added two hens to a single rooster? No other birds were involved?

No, he already has one hen friend in there and he's only young- almost of age. I'm adding them gradually. But there are 2 more in line (other coop)

 

[Megsie01]

So you added

No, he already has one hen friend in there and he's only young- almost of age. I'm adding them gradually. But there are 2 more in line (other coop)

2 hens to a pair of birds? Of course they weren’t going to fight

 

[RcoM]

I actually had no issues. It went very well. The little hen was originally picked on in the bigger flock but the rooster liked her and protects her so pairing them up and adding a few others gradually- worked. They all get along well. They all mate him. One just went broody. Just goes to show that there's no one size fits all approach.