how do you incorporate new chickens into a freeranging flock

[pysankigirl]

So I am still trying to build up my flock.

I have (10) 11 week old chickens freeranging and 3 slightly younger chickens in quarantine that I need to incorporate but I didn't raise them myself so they are skittish. I think it might be a major thing to catch them if they don't want to be caught..

I have been keeping them in a separate area so they don't know the coop is their home and for all I know the other chickens might be mean to them...Will they want to stick with the rest of the flock anyway? will they follow them into the coop? should I put a cage into the coop for a while?

what is the best way to do this?

 

[SnowPeeOstrichU]

Here is where the pea-sized brain comes into action! (and you laugh at chickens)
What you do is you sneak out at night when the chickens are asleep and stick the new ones inside. When they wake up together they will think they never noticed the new young ones.

You can also "introduce" them without letting them get beat up by making a coop and putting it next to the old one so they can talk but not peck,

 

[pysankigirl]

so will the new ones stick with the old ones if I let them out to free range and follow them back into the coop at night?

 

[centrarchid]

When I deal with flocks (juveniles repressenting a group reared together) free-ranged on the same ground, conflicts arise as part of natural behaviors of chickens. I am not able to stop conflicts but they can be managed to reduce negative impacts. Conflicts of consequence arise around feeders, cover, and roost sites. Feeder(s) can be moved denying homecourt advantage. Cover is best simply to be enough or more than one patch of it. Roost sites tend to be most difficult to deal with since in nature roost sites are often very much worth fighting over when somebody not from your flock invades. Roost location(s) can be remodeled to again deny home court advantage. Move roost post to different locations or force birds to enter coop from a different direction. Trick I use for roosting conflicts is to simply have more than one roost location and keep one vacant until new flock is integrated with new flock being introduced to vacant roost. You may be to confine new birds to new roost for a few days to imprint birds in it.

 

[SnowPeeOstrichU]

No you sneak them in while the older ones are asleep, and so they wake up and the little ones are there.

 

[coleferg55]

When I introduced my chickens, I quarentined the new ones, then one night I did as other people said to do, placed them beside the other ones on the roost. In the morning I let them out and they were pecking the new ones and somewhat fighting, but the new ones stuck to themselves. Once they slept on the roost, they knew it was their home and returned to it every night, now they all get allong just fine. Good luck

 

[FuzzyMugz]

I'm going to be integrating younger birds soon myself, and somehow I can't quite imagine sneaking out in the wee hours and stashing seven new little ones among the six big girls. But it sounds like it might be funny to video -- and me without a night vision set-up -- sigh.

I'll be back for more encouragement when it gets closer to my mix and mingle moment. Good luck with your extended family dynamics.

 

[bobbi-j]

I have put new ones in with the old ones at night. Chickens aren't necessarily that bright, but they do notice newcomers when they wake up in the morning! There will always be some fuss while they're establishing their pecking order, but eventually they sort things out. Here's how it worked for me this year: Old flock is established in one coop. I raised 50 chicks in another coop with attached run. When I determined chicks were old enough to free range, I opened the gate and let them all work things out. The old birds still roost in coop #1, and the young ones roost in the coop where they were raised. Late this fall when I "thin the herd", so to speak, the pullets I'm keeping will be moved to coop #1 with the old roo, the old hens will be butchered along with extra cockerels, and coop #2 will be closed up and not used until next spring when I want to breed some specific birds.

 

[pysankigirl]

Alright, well tonight is night #2 of them being in the same coop. I was a bit lucky in that all my older birds had chosen one roost that they decided was the best (for reasons unknown to me) and I was able to get the new ones onto a roost of their own easilly.

I have been letting the older ones out to free range during the day but the new ones I have been putting into a dogcage up in the woods where the chickens like to hang out during the day...unfortunately it is too hot to leave them in the coop to imprint better on it.

how long do you guys think it will take for them to imprint on the coop so I can let them out to freerange if they are only in it at night?

 

[centrarchid]

Alright, well tonight is night #2 of them being in the same coop. I was a bit lucky in that all my older birds had chosen one roost that they decided was the best (for reasons unknown to me) and I was able to get the new ones onto a roost of their own easilly.

I have been letting the older ones out to free range during the day but the new ones I have been putting into a dogcage up in the woods where the chickens like to hang out during the day...unfortunately it is too hot to leave them in the coop to imprint better on it.

how long do you guys think it will take for them to imprint on the coop so I can let them out to freerange if they are only in it at night?

To imprint, they must be able to enter coop themselves. Otherwise they will not figure out entrance. Moving them in your self will not help.


Provide a description of coop. They might be able to take heat, especially if young and ventilation is stepped up and water is abundant.