How long does it take for a new bird to get along with the others??

[sundevil]

Hello,

I have three younger (4 months old) hens/pullets. I got an older hen (1 year old) and put him in a cage inside the coop for about 4-5 days. I let him out on Saturday and he has been chasing the smaller hens up into the nesting box on the second floor. About 15-20 times a day he will then go up and chase them down and back up. This has been going on since the first day. After the first night he claimed the higher roost and now will not even let them on the lower bar. How long will this be going on before they will be together or what point should I try to find him a new home?? I was hoping she would take on the motherly role but not looking like it so far. One of my smaller one's was limping the other day but looks like he is better now.

I have two Production Red and one white Plymouth Rock and the older one is a white Plymouth Rock

Thanks

 

[Habibs Hens]

when i introduced my 4 month olds to my 1 year old they did just that

chased them away and pecked

but i persisted watching them and as long as they didnt get hurt left them at it

the seems to only peck at feed time but all slept together

but after about max 2 weeks they are all fine now and pecking order has been restored

and they all are friends

 

[Blondiechic]

yes, same here! I just had to get two pullets and put them in with my two bigger girls - Ms Head - aka Sooty pecks them at dinner time and they aren't allowed to sleep next to her straight away, she just taps them on the back of their necks. The day after I got the 'babies' I got an older hen and she took a couple of days to settle in and about three 'shake downs' - now, not even two weeks later they all hang together - the 'babies' are close but not quite included all the time but no dramas, the older hen is with the other two like she has been her for years...much to my great relief!

 

[maizy'smom]

Wow. This is a very timely thread. One of my four girls died a week ago Saturday. She had a crossed beak and just started to fail, in the span of four days. As it turns out, yesterday was their first "birthday." My coop really can only hold four full sized birds. The smallest order I can get from mypetchicken.com is three peeps, and even if I got someone to split the order with, I still couldn't raise one peep alone......short story long, I am buying a two year old EE hen from someone who is down-sizing her flock, on Friday.

Here is my question: How do I integrate the new girlie and the established group? Do I have to keep them separate? Quarantined? For how long, if so? Any insight is greatly appreciated, especially the practical, literal, hands-on, "for dummies" kind! Thanks!

mm

 

[Blondiechic]

Well, I think I was lucky and I am not entirely sure I did the right thing with mine but I put them in at dusk when they all went to bed in the hope they would wake up and be ok, I let the 'regulars out' and kept the new one in for a day or two as well - I think I was really lucky but they were fine the second day and less than a week later were all cruising about happily

I have read (since) that they ought to meet through a fence or enclosure and I also read somewhere that if you put vinegar on the backs of their necks then they are more accepting as they all smell the same - I have no idea about that one and expect the people on here will help you far more than me!

Its like a well of information on here!

 

[RedDrgn]

How long it lasts depends on the chickens. Keep a close eye on everyone and watch out for any injuries, but as long as no one is getting hurt, I'd leave them to it. They'll sort it all out eventually.

We got lucky. We used the same method to introduce our roo, and by the time we loosed him among them, everyone was pretty much fine. There was a bit of chest bumping and pecking between the roo and two of the girls, but that only lasted about two days. There was a couple of bouts of excess chasing, by both sides of the parties involved, bu by week 3 you'd have thought they had all been raised together.

 

[RhodeIslandRed2]

I have a Rhode Island Red hen that is about 6-7 months old and a new pullet I just got yesterday who's about 5 months old, they are the same breed and the pullet is in a separate cage but the chickens can still look at eachother, when I pull my hen out and hold the pullet and the to look at eachother closely they begin fighting, I don't want either of them to get hurt, how can I make them get along, and if I can how long will it be before I should put them in the same coop?

 

[Zoodge]

I'm having the same problem. I introduced a red star to my current flock of a faverolles and a cinnamon queen. The faverolles gets picked on by the new red star. My cinnamon queen always chases away the new red star and protects the faverolles. They are occasionally drawing blood and fighting. Will they ever get along? (I just introduced them today, and have separated them inside the coop now.)

 

[Smoochie]

Oh those older hens can be bags! Lol . They definitely make it clear who's boss! And the stress of new surroundings gets to them. Usually I try to do something to the interior of my coop when introducing a new bird.. Add a straw bale or two for hiding and hang a cabbage for distraction. Sometimes it can take like 6 months before there is peace. Also, I add at least two watering stations and feeders as they become little guards.

 

[maizy'smom]

Oh those older hens can be bags! Lol

. They definitely make it clear who's boss! And the stress of new surroundings gets to them. Usually I try to do something to the interior of my coop when introducing a new bird.. Add a straw bale or two for hiding and hang a cabbage for distraction. Sometimes it can take like 6 months before there is peace. Also, I add at least two watering stations and feeders as they become little guards.

Soooooo true. Scroll up a few posts and you'll see that I first responded on May 2nd. Here we are 6 months and 2 days later and we are still having issues. Things have cycled around a bit when one or the other went broody, but now they are back to separating along "new girl/old girls" lines. I was SOO hoping they would literally warm up to each other better before the weather got cold since Violet, my new girlie, is not as cold-hardy and ends up sleeping alone on a separate roost bar from the other three. Of course, they are all molting too. I have more than jokingly considered knitting her a sweater, but I'm afraid it would make her more of a target to the others. Argh. Enough already!

mm