Has anyone ever just "thrown them in" when integrating new birds into a flock?

[Pekin747]

I'm not even going to lie I've done with a with birds multiple times but I'm out with them at least 6 hours when I haven't school even do homework and stuff and in my experience it's only at the start for around 5 days was the longest it took my birds to actually mix
So after day 5 they should be mixed
But 5 weeks that's a bit young to be with older birds is what I'm concerned with I usually wait til they are 3 months

 

[aart]

With all the positive responses it's making me wonder why there is NO information I can find on this whatsoever. Search "integrating chicks into established flock" and every article I found states you should spend at least a week doing the "see don't touch" method. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough?

Often it does not work the way it did for you, but often folks have too little space.

The search here is difficult inefficient, advanced search is better but still have to play with keywords. It's often better just to search google, many results will take you to BYC.
Fewer key words are better than many....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/58009472/?q=integration&t=post&o=date&c[title_only]=1

...or add + between words......
integrating+chicks+into+established flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/se...tablished+flock&t=post&o=date&c[title_only]=1

 

[Rooster_Tyranny]

Often it does not work the way it did for you, but often folks have too little space.

The search here is difficult inefficient, advanced search is better but still have to play with keywords. It's often better just to search google, many results will take you to BYC.
Fewer key words are better than many....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/58009472/?q=integration&t=post&o=date&c[title_only]=1

...or add + between words......
integrating+chicks+into+established flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/58009545/?q=integrating+chicks+into+established+flock&t=post&o=date&c[title_only]=1

Ah I see. Thank you!!

 

[merrymutts]

Our juvenile chicks ( about 6-7 weeks old ) have their side of the coop in full view of the older birds and no instances of "fence fighting". Probably in about another week or two, I will open the dividing door and let the juvies hang out with the adults as I will need the space for the 2 week old chicks in the house....which will free up the swimming pool brooder for what I hope will be a good Bienfelder hatch in about 3 weeks.

 

[Shezadandy]

Often it does not work the way it did for you, but often folks have too little space.

The search here is difficult inefficient, advanced search is better but still have to play with keywords. It's often better just to search google, many results will take you to BYC.
Fewer key words are better than many....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/58009472/?q=integration&t=post&o=date&c[title_only]=1

...or add + between words......
integrating+chicks+into+established flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/58009545/?q=integrating+chicks+into+established+flock&t=post&o=date&c[title_only]=1

Oftentimes I give up on "search" here and just go to google or yahoo- they find the BYC threads I'm looking for much more efficiently (unfortunately). It seems like since the transition, the search function just isn't as good.

 

[Sandy W.]

I've successfully integrated new young adult hens to an established adult flock in a similar way -- outside the coop/pen where there's lots of room -- and no issues other than the occasional dominant hen giving one good peck to get her way.

I've also added a rooster to a flock of established hens in their enclosed 5 x 12' run and it didn't go so well. The girls beat the snot out of him. He kept his distance from them for the rest of the day and followed the hens around, and by the next day he was becoming accepted. By the end of the month, he was their leader. I won't do this again to my next rooster, but I agree with you wholeheartedly that it's possible to integrate new birds when there's lots of space.

 

[chkva]

I've put new hens in instantly when they come from the farm down the road because I know the quality of their birds. Younger ones I'm more hesitant because my OE can be quite the brute towards anything smaller than her. Right now I have 2 week old chicks and she's great with them through the fence, but not so much if she can get inside their fence (which she can't unless the door is left open).

The run the hens are in is about 1500 SQ FT and the run the chicks are in is about 800 SQ FT. I might release the chicks around 10-12 weeks but they'll have a separate coop to go to if needed

 

[keringordon]

Sounds like you did great!
You never know what will happen with live animals,
hope for the best(with proper prep) prepare for the worst.
Would love to see pics of your run.

These things are key^^^ ....all of which @Rooster_Tyranny had prepared.

You question sounds so familar. Thats what I asked when they throw gang members together in prison...its very scary...then the animals quiet down after a few hours..but you have have to keep an eye on them or you might wake up to some dead animals.

 

[Linda Joy]

Question, what do you about feed? Don’t the younger birds eat a different feed than the adults? Just wondering...Thanks!

 

[TheRusticRebel]

We recently just fully integrated our pullets. They are 9 weeks old. At 5 weeks they were in a large dog kennel in the coop. I would let the big girls out ( 1 year old RIR) shut the coop door and let the little ones have the coop for the day. This went on for about 2 weeks. Then we started lettung the little ones out in the little run outside the coop ( our main "run" is just about a 1/4 of an acre fenced in so they cant poop on my deck lol )

Now we leave the kennel open all the time and have also opened up the little run so they have access to the chicken pasture... Some are still sleeping in there at night but several have found their way to the roosts. Ill give em another week and I'll take put the kennel.

So far the big girls havent payed them much attention. They kind of keep to their own.