How do I introduce my new birds to the existing flock? HELP!

[shady chickens]

We have five 18 month old girls, 2 RIR and 3 rocks. In April we got 6 new americaunas - so they're about 14 weeks old now. Everyone has met while free-ranging, but one RIR keeps chasing them and pecking at them. We tried to integrate them last week, and they did ok for a while. They had a small enclosure with separate food and water in the house which only they could enter and exit (too small of a hole for the big girls.) they were ok for a few days, then we found one of the youngins with a badly wounded head - feathers plucked and a spot that was completely raw. we removed the young ones, and put them back in their previous home - a large horse trough in the garage. The mean RIR even attacks us sometimes! I'm worried we'll never be able to have them under the same roof. Should i get rid of the aggressive chicken, or what? I can't keep them in the garage forever! HELP!

 

[cadman68]

I wish i could help, but i am having the same problem so i hope someone replies that knows a trick

 

[homechick]

Me too! Help!

 

[Marc33]

We just FINALLY succeeded in joining four polish hens (reduced from 4 hens + 2 roosters) into our larger flock of 30 hens + 1 rooster (recently reduced from 5 roosters). It was NOT easy, and we had several failed attempts. We had them in a chicken tractor inside the main yard for a while, but nothing was working. Finally, someone on this forum (THANK YOU) suggested getting rid of all but one rooster. We reduced the roosters in our main flock from 5 down to 1, and got rid of the two polish roosters that we were keeping. The other day we introduced the four polish hens to our larger flocks. There was some pecking and some chasing, but nothing too severe, and last night we were so thrilled to see the four polish hens roosting with the larger flock (not intermingled, but at least up on the roosts!).

I think we are lucky in that the one large rooster we did keep is very docile (he was definitely low man on the totem poll among our 5 roosters), and he already had 30 hens to keep him "happy."

I suggest you just perservere - there's no magic answer, and chickens behavior can sometimes seem pretty barbaric. But, we do love them!!! Keep checking back to the forum for advice - it's what helped us tons!!!

 

[shady chickens]

Thanks for the advice! I still may want to find a new home for the aggressive RIR - she frightens me sometimes! The injured chick is healing pretty well, except for a big bump under the intact skin. I hope it's not an abcess! I"m thinking of taking her to the vet *eek* - not sure if they'll take a chicken!