how and when to add new(young) birds to existing flock

[Kel60]

so i have two adult chickens out in our run. current run is a bit small but im rebuilding the whole thing over the next two weeks so i know itll be plenty big enough for these two plus my three chicks im raising right now.


now, last time i tried to introduce new birds to a flock i ended up having to give my aunt back the original two i had and take only the new three because the older hen was absolutely vicious. she would trap them in the nesting box and try and rip them apart. i would have to go rescue them you would not believe the way they woudl scream. we sent her back to my aunts big flock before she could kill the new kids.


now the two i have are from the batch that survived The Bitch, we lost one over the winter hence why were adding to the flock. are their any suggestions for when and how i should introduce them to each other? i kinda want to do it gradually . i had the thought of on good sunny days bring the babies out and put them in a soft dog pen iv got out on the grass so everyone can get a look at each other without being able to hurt anyone. then bring them in at night. after a few days maybe let them meet without the pen.


how old should they be when doing this?

whats the standard way to introducing new young birds to a flock? when and how?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I do my integration early: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/short-on-time-recycle-a-prefab-brooder.73985/ so my goal is to have them fully moved into the coop at 4 weeks.

IF you have the space and set up for it (since you mentioned expanding the run) I think it's the easiest way to do it, because you're taking advantage of the chick's small size by using panic doors/panic openings to allow them to hide when needed. This sort of set up works until roughly around 8 weeks old (at which point the chicks are too big to make chick-only size openings).

 

[arwoon]

so i have two adult chickens out in our run. current run is a bit small but im rebuilding the whole thing over the next two weeks so i know itll be plenty big enough for these two plus my three chicks im raising right now.


now, last time i tried to introduce new birds to a flock i ended up having to give my aunt back the original two i had and take only the new three because the older hen was absolutely vicious. she would trap them in the nesting box and try and rip them apart. i would have to go rescue them you would not believe the way they woudl scream. we sent her back to my aunts big flock before she could kill the new kids.


now the two i have are from the batch that survived The Bitch, we lost one over the winter hence why were adding to the flock. are their any suggestions for when and how i should introduce them to each other? i kinda want to do it gradually . i had the thought of on good sunny days bring the babies out and put them in a soft dog pen iv got out on the grass so everyone can get a look at each other without being able to hurt anyone. then bring them in at night. after a few days maybe let them meet without the pen.


how old should they be when doing this?

whats the standard way to introducing new young birds to a flock? when and how?

What we did was put a large dog crate in their pen and she would stay in their all the time until we gradually started letting her out, and the other chickens were used to her by then so we didn't have any problems.

 

[wright0889]

What we did was put a large dog crate in their pen and she would stay in their all the time until we gradually started letting her out, and the other chickens were used to her by then so we didn't have any problems.

You would let them out into the run for a bit each day supervised until you felt they all got along okay?