How to introduce hens?

[Wigggy]

No throw her in she'll be fine

 

[Shauna's Silkies]

Ok il do that thanks! if the others cant get food what will i do? Sorry for all the question iv nver done this? Sorry

 

[BeccaSmith]

Sometimes it helps to stick the new chickens on the roost after the lights have gone out for the night, however with her being the only chicken fr 5 months I'm pretty sure she will notice the new ones...lol. Do you have a way to create a temporary pen inside you coop for the 3?

Ooops, just saw your update. I would recommend have a second waterer and feeder available. Otherwise they will have to just work things out. It took over a week for things to calm down when we added to chickens to our flock....they still chase the heck out of the two....they stayed inside the coop for the longest time hiding from the others....several months later they are out free ranging but are on the bottom of the pecking order....they sure can run fast!

 

[Shauna's Silkies]

Thank you so much i took your advice and added a cage to my old one now they have lots of room and two feeders! she still pecks them a bit but not as much? thank you

 

[marlo1968]

I have only recently begun keeping chickens. I have 15 adult hens, and 9 4 week old chicks. I read somewhere on BYC to put the younger ones in the coop or run, but to seperate them while inside. I do this by putting a large dog kennel inside the run and the chicks go in there with their own food and water. I put them in once its warm enough outside and then take them out when it cools in the evening. So the chicks are spending their days outside with the other hens but in the safety of their own "run". The dog kennel I use is one of the wire ones, no plastic floor or walls. This way the babies can scratch and peck the dirt, and dust bathe. The article I read said that doing this for a while will introduce the chicks to the hens while being safe to the chicks. The chicks are enjoying it, and the hens don't seem to mind either. The chicks go back to the brooder at night, which for us is a large water trough with straw and a heat lamp.

So this could be a way for you to minimize the hen pecking, by using a slower introduction to the others