Integrating chickens

[StarOnFire59]

All the best! I wii be getting 3 more in June & trying to figure out the add & subtract. My Betty is the main one I worry about. She may end up a lonely bird. She definitely prefers her own company to the company of others. We call her Betty the Bully.

 

[Mountain Granny]

I have 9 of the 6 months olds. They have been living 4 in one pen 2 orpingtons, 1 Sapphire and 1 silky. Next to that pen was 5. 3 americanas and 2 sapphires. They pecked one of the americanas feathers out of her lower back so I put her in a place of her own but she's healed up now. She does have a beak that doesn't close all the way. I was wondering if maybe that's why they picked on her. Then I have 2 barred rocks and a austrolorp separated due to bald backs. They are all feathered out except one barred rock. I separated her from her sister thinking maybe they were pecking each other. Those 3 are about 2 years old. They all ( including the 6 month olds) are where they can see each other. Right now my roo and 3
orpingtons all live in their own coop and run.there is a fence separating the 2 runs. I can leave my opinion roo and his girls in there for now. Maybe I should try to put the 2 year old astrolorp & 2 year old barred rock in with the roo & girls they are all the same age. I for got I have a 2 year old orpington & 3 8 month old hens in another coop with a run. The orpington hatched those chicks. My goal is to try to get them all in the big coop and run together. Thanks for any advice. These guys are like my babies. Lol I want to do this as best as I can !!

 

[Mountain Granny]

Sorry if I double posted!! I was at work using my phone and Im terrible at technology !!!!

 

[debid]

Do you let the groups out of their pens? If they are able to interact out where nobody can get cornered, you can hang around and see how they act together. That's a lot safer for them than introduction in an enclosed space. Put food where they can all get to it, see if they will eat together or if some take over the dish and chase the rest away. I wait until they are eating together in relative peace before I push them to sleep in the same coop. It isn't always smooth as silk after that but it's far better than what happened when I tried sneaking some in.

 

[debid]

I was thinking about this and wondering how it EVER works to put some in when it is dark. It can't always be a bloodbath or the suggestion would not persist?

It's obvious to me you aren't fooling them at all so I let go of that hope. Even if they all look alike to you, the interloper is as obvious to them as it would be if you woke up to find a stranger in your house.

I think what it actually accomplishes is that you might sleep through their attempts to chase away those they don't want joining their flock. Maybe some will give up after a few hours and are less forceful in their attempts?

And, they are territorial so it is probably easier to put different groups together when everyone is new there. Moving birds to an unfamiliar coop at the same time might work better than adding birds to an established group in their house?

And, the "look, no touch" method helps because they see the new arrival(s) are in their territory and their attempts to drive them away will fail. Essentially, you are waiting for them to give up trying?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I was thinking about this and wondering how it EVER works to put some in when it is dark. It can't always be a bloodbath or the suggestion would not persist?

It can work, some of the time. Some of that depends on the personalities of the chickens involved. Some just get along better than others.

Room and how the coop is laid out can be very important. If they cannot get separation when they wake up it could easily go badly. Same as with any integration, room is important. If they can get away and stay away in the coop then it could go well. When I'm integrating chicks with the flock the chicks are up on the roosts in the morning while the adults are on the coop floor. My roosts are high enough that that gives separation. If your roosts are really low then that may not give any separation. Some of my nests are really low. Sometimes chicks hide out under there instead of going to the roosts. If the new ones can get separation it is more likely to work out than if they are sandwiched in there.

And you hit on another one. Sometimes they work it out before you get down there. It doesn't always end in disaster.

You are dealing with living animals, you do not get guarantees on behaviors, good or bad. But there are some things that can improve your odds of success. That's why we have so many suggestions on how to integrate, to improve those odds.