Integrate a Lone Hen?

[Aunt Angus]

I've integrated new chickens before, but this would be a single chicken. Our city's animal shelter has had this one hen for several weeks now. She was found wandering on someone's property. A friend-of-a-friend just contacted me about taking her because they know I've rescued hens before (in other words, I'm a sucker). The hen has been seen by a vet and wormed. She's been in a cage for over a month. She looks like a Sebright.

I'm like: you're killing me, here...

My current flock is 11 hens of varying sizes and breeds, the oldest being approx 6 years and the youngest 4 months. I also have 1 bantam rooster and 4 female ducks. I have room (80 sq ft coop with 700 sq ft of run/yard space).

Advice? Thoughts? Opinions?

 

[Aunt Angus]

I rescued 2 hens from deplorable conditions. I quarantined for a month as I treated them for worms, lice, vent gleet, and sour crop. Good times.

I read the article @azygous wrote. She didn't quarantine. I will still keep them separated. I'll probably keep her in a crate in the garage at night and let her out in our yard (very separate from the rest of our property - we are spread out over 3 levels - it's weird).

Look at her. Just look....

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Kudos for considering giving this stray hen a chance. If you're prepared for the possibility that it may not be a "quick and easy" integration - which it sounds like you are - why not go for it?

You know your flock better than anyone else - are there any you're particularly concerned may react negatively to a newcomer? Integrating single birds is always a little nervewracking because you just don't know how the process will play out, but it can be done...and sometimes with less drama than you may expect.

Can you do the "look but no touch" introduction prior to the actual integration?

Whatever you decide, I wish you and the little hen the best.

 

[aldarita]

First let me congratulate you for wanting to bring this hen home. I am all for helping an animal to have a better life. Second, it is highly recommended that you quarantine this hen. It is very important to do it the best way you can in order to avoid having all kinds of problems with your existing flock. Even though this hen has been dewormed and seen by a vet, it does not mean that she does not carry some serious diseases that an inspection can miss.
You said you have integrated before so I guess you know the "rules" of integration. It is very hard to integrate a single hen. Azygous has written an excellent article about her experience integrating a single hen to her flock. Good luck!

 

[azygous]

Azygous didn't quarantine the hen in her article because it was in an animal rescue shelter for a week and had a thorough vet exam plus was wormed. Besides, quarantining cannot detect avian viruses unless the chicken happens to be symptomatic. I adopted another adult hen before this one, didn't quarantine because I knew the flock she came from and the person owning the flock was a good friend.

Azygous doesn't add chickens unless the source is well known and trusted.

 

[black_cat]

I'm wondering if after quarantine, you could integrate her with a few members of your current flock, and then repeat the process with all of them and your whole flock? That way she wouldn't be as easy a target because some others would be 'new' too.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Have you had the chance to read this?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock.71997/

 

[Mrs. K]

Truthfully, further quarantine is not going to show you anything other than the status quo of where she is at now. BUT there could be something that is not evident, and won't show up until mixed with yours.

My suggestion is pick a canary, a middle of the flock bird, and isolate the two of them togethers and see if any disease breaks out. Then do the no touch with the pair of them, then introduce the pair to the flock.

No one wants to re-paid for a good deed, by loosing a flock.

Mrs K

 

[Aunt Angus]

Kudos for considering giving this stray hen a chance. If you're prepared for the possibility that it may not be a "quick and easy" integration - which it sounds like you are - why not go for it?

You know your flock better than anyone else - are there any you're particularly concerned may react negatively to a newcomer? Integrating single birds is always a little nervewracking because you just don't know how the process will play out, but it can be done...and sometimes with less drama than you may expect.

Can you do the "look but no touch" introduction prior to the actual integration?

Whatever you decide, I wish you and the little hen the best.

My only real concern is that she's a single hen. Will she be a neurotic mess? I have a hen I brought in (stupidly) as a singleton for a broody. That girl is nuts.

I can absolutely do the look-but-don't-touch integration. My duck house is empty because my ducks seem to think they're chickens. I can rig a temporary fence, too, to give her access to the run.

 

[arwoon]

What we did with two new girls, was put them in a large wire dog crate inside the larger chicken pen (holding around 18 hens and a roo) they stayed in the crate for a few days and then we let them out with the other chickens. They worked out the pecking order among themselves (w/ supervision) and it was fine. You could try a one at a time approach as well.