Integrating new chicken into small flock

[lifeaswenoit18]

I have three hens that are three years old and just purchased a ten week old hen. All four are different breeds and I have tried the hens in together and the old ones chase the new one and pluck out her feathers. So I separated the run with chicken wire so they could see each other but not be by each other, where do I go from her in my integrating since I heard you should wait until the birds are the same size is it smart to just leave them separate until that time?

 

[bobbi-j]

Since you're only introducing one, I do believe it would be in the best interest of your new one to wait. The other hens will still chase and pick at her because that's what chickens do to establish the pecking order. It may not be terribly bad if they can live near each other for a while first so the others can get used to her. You just never know - they're living animals with minds of their own. Mine prove to me just about daily that once I think I have figured out the rules, they change the game.

 

[SIMZ]

I would leave them separated for a few more weeks at least. Where is the new chicken sleeping? I've heard that you can sometimes put one of the older girls in with the new one for a while -- but I wouldn't try that until your chick is bigger. That might help with mixing her in since it's three against one.

 

[lifeaswenoit18]

The newest chick is sleeping in a quick made coop that is more just three walls and a roost pole so she can have somewhere to stay at night...though she chooses to sleep on its roof most of the time...odd duck?...hahah...I guess I will wait a few weeks. The cages are actually in the same run that is split by chicken fencing so they see each other and the big girls can still peck the newest one if everyone goes by the fence...so it is nice they get some interaction without all the worry of them seriously hurting her.

 

[SIMZ]

That sounds good. I added a short video in my tagline to explain what I was talking about. One thing that might help is to make her fence so that she can get in and out, but the big hens can't get in. Does that make sense? Then she's able to run around with them, but also have a place to get back to if she feels threatened.