How to introduce hens

[KaOsFarm]

I am looking at getting two new hens. I just lost 3 of my hens in one blow and I'm looking at getting two new ones. I only have three hens now. What is the safest way to introduce them? They are free range birds.

Also I would like to get a rooster in the near future for my hens. How do in introduce my rooster?

 

[BYCforlife]

I'm sorry for your loss!

I would keep them in a separate cage/run for a few days, to let them get used to each other. There will be a pecking order fight no matter what, but it won't be so bad if they are already used to each other.

Also, if you get a rooster younger than the hens, they will chase HIM around, and that's better than the rooster chasing the hens.
Also, your rooster-to-hen ratio should be 1 rooster for every 8-10 hens.

 

[aart]

Sorry for your loss, did it happen while free ranging?
How to add new birds depends much on your setup,
integration works best with extra and separate but adjacent space.

It takes more than few days of segregation before allowing them to meet physically.
A good adult rooster is the easiest addition,
younger cockerels should be added as other birds,
and may pose different issues depending on the cockerel.

Here's some notes I've taken on integration that I found to be very helpful.......
......take what applies or might help and ignore the rest.
See if any of them, or the links provided at the bottom, might offer some tips that will assist you in your situation:

Consider biological/medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
BYC 'quarantine' search

Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.


This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[KaOsFarm]

Okay, I think there has been a big change in plans but I'm not sure. I found a person who is willing to sell me her 20 chickens, two roos and one duck including all of their chicken supplies and shed for $200. So I am basically integrating a larger amount of newbies to my small three chicken flock. Is the do able?
And how much feed should I expect to go through????

 

[Mrs. K]

Chickens hate change, and I have the best integration when I change up everything at once. New house, new place, new birds, new feed, that is a lot of change. Personally 20 birds would be too many birds in any kind of truly back yard set up. So I hope you have more space than that. Do have hide outs inside and outside of the coop.

 

[KaOsFarm]

Right now we have about 5 acres of clear land if they were to be free range. I'm not quite sure anything beyond that.
The flock also comes with one duck. How do I care for a duck?

 

[aart]

@KaOsFarm It's not about the size of your land, it's about the size of your coop.
In your climate they may not spend much time outside ranging so your coop has to hold them all in a healthy way with lots of space and ventilation.

A duck is another kind of animal, haha, they need different housing with provision for water mess.

Okay, I think there has been a big change in plans but I'm not sure. I found a person who is willing to sell me her 20 chickens, two roos and one duck including all of their chicken supplies and shed for $200. So I am basically integrating a larger amount of newbies to my small three chicken flock. Is the do able?

Not unless you've got a larger coop since you made this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/introducing-chickens.1190354/

Really, I highly recommend you slow down and get thru your first winter with the birds you have now. The first year is a huge learning curve, you don't want to add overcrowding issues to your lessons.

 

[KaOsFarm]

They do come with two coops.
Yeah that's a good idea.

 

[Feather Fanatic 2000]

The easiest thing may be to keep them in the separate coops for now, but let them see each other during the day (with fence in-between). If they are all around the same size (and truly free-ranged) they should be able to be running together in no time, just a few weeks. It will take longer for them to be able to be housed together, but you always are better off being safe than sorry. If you have nice scratch grains or other small treats, (even pelleted food) spread it in a large area on the ground when you are finally letting them run together. This puts them all in the same area, but the numerous, small pieces keeps any one bird from dominating another. This is how I integrate my pullets with the ladies and it works incredibly well!

 

[aart]

They do come with two coops.
Yeah that's a good idea.

That's an awful lot to bite off as a newbie.
I'd also ask how old they are in weeks or months.
.....and keep in mind that getting someone else's birds is a risk for pests and diseases.