How to introduce a chick to the flock...?

[kidsbme3]

We have a mixed flock of Rosecomb bantams and bantam mixes. We want to get orpingtons and R.I.R as well, any idea on how this will go down? I worry about the RIR becoming too agressive with the others

 

[vent12]

I have 6 hens, 3 rhode island reds and 3 white leg horns and I need to introduce 2 golden sex links hens that are a little over 8 weeks old, do you think they are too young to be a happy family? at what age and will the same method work with a seperate cage in the run for a few days? Thanks a bunch.

 

[sumi]

You can put them in a separate cage in the run now already, but it will be better to wait until they are more or less fully grown before letting them loose with the older chickens.

 

[vent12]

thank you

 

[betschicks]

I have a Roo with a hen and need to introduce 7 6 week old girls, I've had them out next to each other for a week now and the older couple are mesmerized by them. The - wants to be broody hen - pecks at them occasionally through the mesh. But I'm worried about the Roo hurting them :-/ Am I silly to worry? He is as curious as she is. This is my first addition

 

[Trishkabob]

hi all, I know this thread has been around awhile but I was glad to see recent posts. I am feeling like I screwed up a happy "flock" of 2. We have 2 adults (2 yrs.) who are sweet and get along and love us-hang out on the porch, come when called, etc.
Because we have had losses we were afraid to have just 2 ( been there before, then lost one and a kind BYC person gave us these 2 to keep our lone survivor company. She was killed earlier this year, sadly.)
So we have 3 teenagers-2 barred rocks and a partridge rock. They are 10 weeks and we did the "playpen" thing about 3 weeks ago (after letting them roam outside, under supervision, together, so the big girls saw them, sometimes ignored, sometimes chased.). It was clear our JG was ok with them (she is top bird) and our hybrid very unhappy (preserving her status, I think).
So all were in the big pen, little ones safe inside their little pen, for a bit-5 or 6 days. The little ones didn't like having their roost so low and began to fly to the roof of the henhouse. So we split the henhouse in 2, with wire, and 2 doors. The big girls were unhappy (their space was halved) and hassled each other a bit. Harriet (hybrid) continued to be the most upset. Sometimes she slept in the nestbox but they sort of got used to it. This arrangement lasted about 10 days and we thought we could try removing the wire.
Didn't go flawlessly-little ones squashed to one side and Harriet squawking. But they managed (one little one slept on nestbox roost).
THEN (sorry for the saga...) a dog attacked the JG (Eloise) on Wed. Somehow she survived with a loss of many feathers and small cut but this created another upset-both big girls hiding out all day and are scared of me. One of them laid in the corner of the pen, not the nestbox, yesterday/this morning.
I am wondering how long a merging takes generally (the little ones are about 2/3 size of big girls) and with the many changes/"dramas" of late, I am getting discouraged.
I might add, the little ones are thriving; it's the beloved elders I'm concerned about.
Overthinking?
thanks for any wisdom.

 

[buckabucka]

hi all, I know this thread has been around awhile but I was glad to see recent posts. I am feeling like I screwed up a happy "flock" of 2. We have 2 adults (2 yrs.) who are sweet and get along and love us-hang out on the porch, come when called, etc.
Because we have had losses we were afraid to have just 2 ( been there before, then lost one and a kind BYC person gave us these 2 to keep our lone survivor company. She was killed earlier this year, sadly.)
So we have 3 teenagers-2 barred rocks and a partridge rock. They are 10 weeks and we did the "playpen" thing about 3 weeks ago (after letting them roam outside, under supervision, together, so the big girls saw them, sometimes ignored, sometimes chased.). It was clear our JG was ok with them (she is top bird) and our hybrid very unhappy (preserving her status, I think).
So all were in the big pen, little ones safe inside their little pen, for a bit-5 or 6 days. The little ones didn't like having their roost so low and began to fly to the roof of the henhouse. So we split the henhouse in 2, with wire, and 2 doors. The big girls were unhappy (their space was halved) and hassled each other a bit. Harriet (hybrid) continued to be the most upset. Sometimes she slept in the nestbox but they sort of got used to it. This arrangement lasted about 10 days and we thought we could try removing the wire.
Didn't go flawlessly-little ones squashed to one side and Harriet squawking. But they managed (one little one slept on nestbox roost).
THEN (sorry for the saga...) a dog attacked the JG (Eloise) on Wed. Somehow she survived with a loss of many feathers and small cut but this created another upset-both big girls hiding out all day and are scared of me. One of them laid in the corner of the pen, not the nestbox, yesterday/this morning.
I am wondering how long a merging takes generally (the little ones are about 2/3 size of big girls) and with the many changes/"dramas" of late, I am getting discouraged.
I might add, the little ones are thriving; it's the beloved elders I'm concerned about.
Overthinking?
thanks for any wisdom.

I wouldn't worry too much about the older hens. A predator attack is a major event, and it may take a while for them to recover from that. I always hate integrating new birds, because I hate watching the whole pecking order shift, but I think people tend to project their own feelings onto it (at least I do), instead of thinking about it through a chicken-sized brain.
Hopefully things will settle down for you once some time passes.

 

[Cape Cod Chick]

I have a different version of this problem. We had four hens but a fox managed to get in last night and kill two of them. One of our remaining hens has been broody for weeks and won't leave the laying box (we have two boxes). The other hen is wandering around the pen incredibly sad looking for her two friends who are missing. We want to get more chickens and a local chicken breeder has some eggs that are just about to hatch. She suggested putting the eggs under the broody hen so she can hatch them. What I'm wondering is should I separate the "new" mother and newly hatched chicks from the other chicken? If so, she will be so lonely, but I don't want to take a chance at her hurting them.

Or am I better off adding adult chickens? Or getting new baby chicks and keeping them separate until they are big enough to integrate? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[buckabucka]

I have a different version of this problem. We had four hens but a fox managed to get in last night and kill two of them. One of our remaining hens has been broody for weeks and won't leave the laying box (we have two boxes). The other hen is wandering around the pen incredibly sad looking for her two friends who are missing. We want to get more chickens and a local chicken breeder has some eggs that are just about to hatch. She suggested putting the eggs under the broody hen so she can hatch them. What I'm wondering is should I separate the "new" mother and newly hatched chicks from the other chicken? If so, she will be so lonely, but I don't want to take a chance at her hurting them.

Or am I better off adding adult chickens? Or getting new baby chicks and keeping them separate until they are big enough to integrate? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Could you just separate the broody by some barrier down the pen so the other hen could still see her? It may be that the chicks will be fine.

I've only had a broody hatch a chick once (unfortunately, only one chick hatched). I separated her with some chicken wire in the coop, but after less than a week, she had busted out of there. I think maybe the chick slipped out somehow, and she busted her way out to protect it. I had a big flock and a rooster, and eventually the chick suffered an injury and chick and broody had to stay separated for quite a while.

You might try keeping the broody sectioned off but visible, and after a short time, let her out with the chicks and see how it goes. She only has to defend the chicks against one hen. Put some things that the chicks can dart in or under for protection. I got some cheap plastic laundry baskets at the dollar store, cut a few bigger holes near the rim, and put it upside down on the ground with a brick on top. The chicks can run under there, but the hen can't get to them.

If the integration isn't working, you could always separate the broody again and pick up an adult hen or two.
Good luck!

 

[Cape Cod Chick]

Thank you so much, Buckabucka! The laundry basket is ingenious! Everyone talks about creating a playpen and safe place, but this is solid info I can use. We're still debating whether to get the eggs or whether to just start with four new chicks in a separate area, but I will definitely use this laundry basket idea.