How do I introduce my new chickens with my others? Please Please Help!

[lovinmychickens]

Hi, I new to this board , so please bare with me. I am looking to find out how to introduce my new chikens with my old. My friend who owns chickens said to do it at night, in the dark, and they would be fine in the morning, thats what I did and it did not work. I got up this morning to find two of my new chickens are bleeding on their heads. I really need some help. I have them all seperated right now, but its going to rain soon, so the new ones are going to need some cover. PLEASE PLEASE Advise! Thanks so much!

 

[schmoo]

I asked this question last week and someone said have them in the same coop but seperate them somehow so they can see each other. It sounds logical to me, but I have no idea how I would've done it.

I was going to try it but I decided to sell them to another member on here because she had a set up already built and really wanted that breed.
Good luck

 

[aran]

here is my latest plan to solve this problem which i am in the middle of.
Ok so i have 2 separate flocks--> 1 flock is 10 x 9 weekers ) RIR,RIW,BRs) in a separate coop and run ( they can see the others through the fencing)
Other flock is 14x 5 weekers ( Salmon favs, SS hamburgs, buff orps, and white cochins)--> they are in the big run ( 40x25 or there abouts) away from the bigger girls.
--> I had planned starting today to introduce one of the bigger girls at a time over the next week or so into the big run to get them all used to one another without the ability for the big girls to gang up on the littlies...what do you guys think?

 

[Napalongtail]

Might work, I had 3 Golden Laced Wyandottes once that were a horrible gang when together. Sent one to each of my girlfriends houses and kept one for myself and GEE they weren't so mean after all. I must point out though ...That a certain amount of pecking order and I do mean pecking order does have to be established. But breaking up the gang sounds good to me. Good Luck

 

[farmgirl2477]

something as easy as tacking up some chicken wire, or plastic netting (green stuff for gardens) works well. They just need to see eachother for a few days. Ive also used a large dog crate in the coop and in the yard where they range.

Good luck with your introduction.
Shannon

 

[okiechick57]

It can be quite scarey can't it ! I put my flock out to free range and then brought in the new ones into the coop...... I let them meet through the fence all day and into the night.....only the roosters had to peck it out and it didnt take much for my King to establish that THIS was HIS territory...I do think it helped my new roo is young.......but the hens didn't have any problems other than at the feed dish and it was settled early......... I would seperate the coop if at all possible.with a net?fencing? for a while anyway........ hope something works for you........

 

[chickaboo7]

I do supervised play time .I have the babes in a round play yard & I watch to see who is aggressive. I do this for about 1hr in the morn. and again at night. I've kept bantams in a rabbit hutch with a ladder. Big enough for them to get in but not the bigger girls.

 

[chickonaroost]

I posted the same problem 1 1/2 months ago. I tried to put my 10 weekers in with my 1 year olds after keeping them 'seperate but together'. The old girls are still relentlessly picking on the new ones and they are alomst full grown now. They are still strongly divided. If the babies are in, the oldies are out and visa versa. The babies run from the oldies because they know they will get pecked. I'm loosing hope that this will be one happy family.

 

[franfoley]

I put my brooder box (DH built it) inside my hen house and
the older chickens see the littlier ones. I only had to do this
for about 3 days.

It can be limited by the size of your hen house but my hen house is 8X8 and DH build the brooder box to fit into one corner of the house, but still be removeable.

That way after they get used to seeing each other they can be let run together.

Then in the evening we removed the brooder box (3X3) and put the little ones on the floor.

Next morning they all left the house together and we had the usual "pecking" to establish order. The little ones are like a flock inside a flock cause the always stay together.

Good Luck

 

[aran]

so far so good...4 of the big girls are in with the littlies and no problems at all...1 of the 4 is the most dominant of the older birds too! Cross your fingers.