How would you go about introducin teens

[JimnJanet]

into the flock. Don't know if it matters but i hatched these five out myself from eggs from the flock. There is a hen out there with 6 chicks she hatched about a week after i incubated these five.
I took one teen out yesterday and tried to introduce it to the other youngins figgerin it would jist move into that small flock. Allthough they didn't actually stay together, they (all the kids) all got along.
I hen or two from the flock would give the teen a "whatfor" when they passed but nothin serious.
I didn't however let the teen stay over night in the coop coz i didn't know how it would be treated once the sun went down.
The 5 teens are 4 weeks old yesterday and the other 6 chicks with mom are 1 week younger.
Any tips and or experience ?

 

[HenHaven]

I've introduced teens on several occasions over the last 3+ years. It helps to introduce them as a group. The bigger the group of newbies, the easier it is--just the sheer numbers help balance things out. In the establishment of the pecking order, they will share the grief as a whole unit, and usually fare much better than introducing in only 1 or 2 newcomers.

I just read that yours are 4 weeks old. The ones that I introduced were probably closer to half grown. So yours would need closer watching, but if that 1 made it OK, things should be even easier with all of them going in together.

 

[dacjohns]

Everyone's situation is different so what works for one may not work for another.

Right now I have three groups of chickens. 1. 4 laying hens, 1 rooster, 2 ducks (I know, ducks aren't chickens), and 6 meat birds I haven't butchered yet. 2. 28 "teenagers". 3. 2 hens with 15 chicks between the 2 of them.

Each group is kept separated at night. During the day they all run around the yard together and visit each other's houses. In the late afternoon they fight over the scratch I throw them.

They can see and hear each other most of the time. When the meat birds are gone I may integrate the mommas and chicks into the laying flock. When the time comes for integration of the "teenagers" I should have done some butchering of the cockerels so the total flock will be smaller and they will know each other pretty well by then.

Just my plan based on my situation and what I have read.

 

[HenHaven]

You know, I forgot to say.....that when I introduce the new ones, I do it when they are all freeranging. I will usually pen them separately at night for awhile, while I am getting them used to each other. It would be an entirely different scenario, if you are introducing them into a run where they have less room to manuever and avoid conflict.