Help! Introducing new hen!

[Dalylah]

She should be kept separate for at least a few days. It's a slow process, but definitely ups the safety of your bird. It might seem cruel or inconvenient, but look at any other threads on how to introduce new birds and this is the tried and true method.

For reference, my last batch of 8 chickens took a week before my established flock stopped trying to attack them through their separate pen.

You can try and crash course it, but you risk a lot of bullying, injuries and potentially death of the new bird.

Then after a few days or week or so of separating her I do supervised visits?

 

[Chickstarrs]

She should be kept separate for at least a few days. It's a slow process, but definitely ups the safety of your bird. It might seem cruel or inconvenient, but look at any other threads on how to introduce new birds and this is the tried and true method.

For reference, my last batch of 8 chickens took a week before my established flock stopped trying to attack them through their separate pen.

You can try and crash course it, but you risk a lot of bullying, injuries and potentially death of the new bird.

Agreed. I had my young birds separated from the hens for at least 2 weeks, probably more. It all depends on the individual chickens too. They are all different.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

@Dalylah-
Just so you know..
The method "stick em in while they're sleeping" is NOT AT ALL EFFECTIVE!
Because, when a chicken wakes up next to another, it doesn't stop them from asking the question: Where in the pecking order are you in relation to me? And thus, the same thing happens.
Plus, you NEED to quarantine new members and watch them for sickness, and so all the stress from the new...everything doesn't hit them all at once. And so if there is sickness, it can be treated and won't be passed to your hens.

 

[Laney Lu]

Hi everyone! I have 3 6 month old hens and I a friedn offered me a mix crops breed and she was beautiful so I took her! She is maybe a few weeks younger than my hens but is pretty close to the same size. I was told to put new chickens in at night time because when they wake up everyhtung is pretty normal so that’s what I did. Well all day today they have been chasing her was from the food and water and chasing her pretty much everywhere and I feel sooo bad!! She hated it here!! What should I do?!

I put my new chickens in the pen in a smaller cage.. leave them in the cage for a couple of days so they can see each other without being able to attack them. Then when everyone is done laying for the day lock everyone out and let them loose. Let the new chickens get used to the new coop. At night call in the other chickens and feed everyone together. Hope this helps

 

[Mrs. K]

In a small coop/ small flock adding a single bird to an established flock can be darn tricky.

But instead of trying to introduce one bird to 3-4, introduce one bird to one bird, so pick a middle of the pecking order bird, and put her with the new girl. They will duke it out, but it will be one on one. Not 4 to 1.

If you can set it up so that the pair can be seen by the others, but also get out of sight of the others that will help. Wait until the pair has worked it out, like maybe a week.

Now add a pull one or two birds from the original flock, leaving two birds and add the pair to that, now it is 2 against 2, should be some dust up, but should settle quickly, much quicker than before. Then add the last birds.

Adding a single bird, takes a lot of monkeying around. It is one of the hardest introductions to do, and it is much harder in a smaller flock.

MRs K

 

[Dalylah]

In a small coop/ small flock adding a single bird to an established flock can be darn tricky.

But instead of trying to introduce one bird to 3-4, introduce one bird to one bird, so pick a middle of the pecking order bird, and put her with the new girl. They will duke it out, but it will be one on one. Not 4 to 1.

If you can set it up so that the pair can be seen by the others, but also get out of sight of the others that will help. Wait until the pair has worked it out, like maybe a week.

Now add a pull one or two birds from the original flock, leaving two birds and add the pair to that, now it is 2 against 2, should be some dust up, but should settle quickly, much quicker than before. Then add the last birds.

Adding a single bird, takes a lot of monkeying around. It is one of the hardest introductions to do, and it is much harder in a smaller flock.

MRs K

Thank you! The girl I got her from has her sibling still available and I figured I would buy her so that it won’t just be 1 alone. Will that help?

 

[aart]

The girl I got her from has her sibling still available and I figured I would buy her so that it won’t just be 1 alone. Will that help?

Yes...but.....
How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.

Here's some tips about......
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.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Owenp_2]

Hi everyone! I have 3 6 month old hens and I a friedn offered me a mix crops breed and she was beautiful so I took her! She is maybe a few weeks younger than my hens but is pretty close to the same size. I was told to put new chickens in at night time because when they wake up everyhtung is pretty normal so that’s what I did. Well all day today they have been chasing her was from the food and water and chasing her pretty much everywhere and I feel sooo bad!! She hated it here!! What should I do?!

I have one hen that is newer along with the majority of the flock and they constantly peck at her or chase her. However, I have noticed that with chickens they find another one that they stick with most the time which is the case right now.

 

[Mrs. K]

Thank you! The girl I got her from has her sibling still available and I figured I would buy her so that it won’t just be 1 alone. Will that help?

In a small coop set up, it could mean too many chickens for the coop. However it is always better to add more than one.

MEASRUE your coop - don't guess. For 5 chickens, I would want at the very least a coop that is 4 feet by 5 feet. If you have one of the darling little prefab chicken houses, adding more will be a bigger wreck.