How Long Do Introductions Take?

[Kanthaka]

I think I am more stressed about this than the chickens. Had a flock of two and one died suddenly leaving my Delaware hen all alone. Checked the boards here and everyone seemed to agree that a chicken prefers to be in the company of other chickens so I finally found a sweet bantam brahma hen. She is the same age and size as my Delaware but introductions do not seem to be going well. My Delaware chases and picks at the newcomer. They sleep/roost together and do seem to be calming down a bit and getting closer. But it's been 3 days. Should they be getting along better by now? I have a huge fenced in yard in the city. I've been rotating them by putting one in the coop (coop has an attached run) while the other free ranges so they can see each other but not have physical contact. I really thought I was doing the right thing but now I'm worried that all I've done is make two hens miserable.
From the posts here it seems that most birds accept newcomers and become harmonious eventually. I just wanted to do right by them!

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Quote:
Don't worry, I think if there's been even a teeny bit of progress in just 3 days, it will continue. I think they will learn to appreciate each other's company. Even they were chewing each other's heads off, that would be another story.

 

[Momma_Cluck]

Your gal is just establishing that it is HER roost, and SHE is the boss-- it'll settle soon!

 

[greenpeeps]

I'm trying to get my 4 week old chicks to move in with my 4 hens. This isn't going very well at all. I've kept them in the same coop ( seperated by chicken wire) for a week now and thought I should be able to take it down. Wow was I wrong.

One of the chicks got a little nip near her eye, so sad. Another one tried to squeez through the chicken wire to get away from the bigger chickens. So now the seperator has to go back up.

They can really stress you out..

 

[yomama]

Quote:
I have read numerous threads here that you should have them separated, but visible to the other hens for at least 3 weeks. I would definately give them more time.

Kanthaka, I had an adult roo that I got from my neighbors. Upon not only the advice from my vet, but many BYC'ers here, I quarantined him for 4 weeks. He was in a fenced pen where the other hens could see him, but not interact with him. Even if she seems healthy, I would be concerned that your new hen may possibly have something. My neighbors assured me he was very healthy, but low and behold he had NASTY scaly leg mites! His legs were three times the normal thickness they are now, and they apparently didn't notice.(Of course these people have had chickens for years and have never heard of Marek's

and Marek's is high in our area.)Chickens can have an underlining illness that stress, such as a new environment, can bring out. If it were me, I would separate them, but have them visible to each other for at least 4 weeks. I know that seems hard to do, especially since you got her for your hen to have a friend, but I'm sure you would agree that it is not worth risking the health of your Delaware. It was very hard for me to do, because I just wanted to let him out to mingle, but I am so glad I didn't. It took me three weeks to cure his leg mites with weekly applications of ivermectin. I couldn't imagine having to do that to all my other chickens that he would of spread that to. Not only that, it may make the integration go better, because they have been in each others presence for a while. JMO