Integrating new chicks into a small flock

[nikiweaver03]

I saw a post about integration earlier today and have been looking through past posts but all the threads I'm finding are about bigger flocks. We have a small flock of 4 hens (2 RI Reds, 1 Barred Rock, and 1 Black Australorp). They were originally part of a larger flock of about 15, but when we moved to a different house with less land we split the group up with my parents. This year my parents lost 9 or their 11 to a fox. We had been wanting to add a couple of girls to our group of 4 so we decided it would be a good year since if the integration doesn't go well my parents have lots of extra space to take them. They have a large homemade coop but our coop is a small one we purchased with a small attached run. It's meant to hold 4-6 hens. We have half an acre of land and about a third of it is fenced so our girls also free range in the back yard. They are only locked in the coop/run until we let them out in the mornings or on rare occasions when we're gone overnight. We don't have room in the coop or run to put a crate or separate enclosure for the 2 new girls (a Buff Orpington and an Americana) so I'm a bit worried about how to integrate them. The 2 little ones are about 5 weeks now. We have them in a large dog crate in the basement and we occasionally give them outside time in a puppy play pen in the back yard. The other girls are completely uninterested in them at this point but when we try to introduce them 3 of the four lean towards being aggressive. They don't attack them but they have tried to peck them. They aren't all loose together or in a coop together so they might attack them if they were. Our Australorp is incredibly docile and she seems less aggressive with them so we will probably give her time with the little ones before the others. She's more interested in hanging out with us than the flock most of the time. She's also the only one that can fly out of our fence so if we try to put her in the pen with the chicks she just flies out. She will come in to get cuddle time on my lap so I let her sit in the pen with me for a while just to help the little ones get used to her. Any suggestions on how to integrate with a small number with very limited space in the coop? The two new ones get along well with each other so far and the 4 older ones do also. The two reds are best friends and seem to rule the roost but none of them ever fight and they all hang out together in the yard most of the time. The new Buff O is very gentle and friendly. The Americana is more skiddish but she is pretty friendly with us too when we can catch her or entice her to sit with us. Their first time outside she was nervous and sat in my lap for a long time before she would get down and explore. We're just nervous about ruining the dynamic of our existing flock since they do so well together, but after my parents loosing so many layers and after having such a long and bitterly cold winter we thought having a couple more would be a good thing in the long run. Advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[iwiw60]

Doesn't matter about the size of the flock, the methods are the same...here's a page that will help:

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/search?q=integrating+new

 

[nikiweaver03]

Great article, thank you! I think our biggest challenge will be when the little ones are ready to move to the coop. It's very cozy so there's not a lot of space for them to keep to themselves. During the day I think we'll be fine. At night and mornings before they come out of the run will be the challenge.

 

[iwiw60]

Great article, thank you! I think our biggest challenge will be when the little ones are ready to move to the coop. It's very cozy so there's not a lot of space for them to keep to themselves. During the day I think we'll be fine. At night and mornings before they come out of the run will be the challenge.

If your coop is small place the little ones in a dog crate at night. Extra work for sure, but it's better than beat up little ones...see if that might work for you.

 

[Agathe]

I saw a post about integration earlier today and have been looking through past posts but all the threads I'm finding are about bigger flocks. We have a small flock of 4 hens (2 RI Reds, 1 Barred Rock, and 1 Black Australorp). They were originally part of a larger flock of about 15, but when we moved to a different house with less land we split the group up with my parents. This year my parents lost 9 or their 11 to a fox. We had been wanting to add a couple of girls to our group of 4 so we decided it would be a good year since if the integration doesn't go well my parents have lots of extra space to take them. They have a large homemade coop but our coop is a small one we purchased with a small attached run. It's meant to hold 4-6 hens. We have half an acre of land and about a third of it is fenced so our girls also free range in the back yard. They are only locked in the coop/run until we let them out in the mornings or on rare occasions when we're gone overnight. We don't have room in the coop or run to put a crate or separate enclosure for the 2 new girls (a Buff Orpington and an Americana) so I'm a bit worried about how to integrate them. The 2 little ones are about 5 weeks now. We have them in a large dog crate in the basement and we occasionally give them outside time in a puppy play pen in the back yard. The other girls are completely uninterested in them at this point but when we try to introduce them 3 of the four lean towards being aggressive. They don't attack them but they have tried to peck them. They aren't all loose together or in a coop together so they might attack them if they were. Our Australorp is incredibly docile and she seems less aggressive with them so we will probably give her time with the little ones before the others. She's more interested in hanging out with us than the flock most of the time. She's also the only one that can fly out of our fence so if we try to put her in the pen with the chicks she just flies out. She will come in to get cuddle time on my lap so I let her sit in the pen with me for a while just to help the little ones get used to her. Any suggestions on how to integrate with a small number with very limited space in the coop? The two new ones get along well with each other so far and the 4 older ones do also. The two reds are best friends and seem to rule the roost but none of them ever fight and they all hang out together in the yard most of the time. The new Buff O is very gentle and friendly. The Americana is more skiddish but she is pretty friendly with us too when we can catch her or entice her to sit with us. Their first time outside she was nervous and sat in my lap for a long time before she would get down and explore. We're just nervous about ruining the dynamic of our existing flock since they do so well together, but after my parents loosing so many layers and after having such a long and bitterly cold winter we thought having a couple more would be a good thing in the long run. Advice is greatly appreciated!

I know this is an old post but I wondered if you got any advice and how the integration worked for you? I've probably got more space than you, but I'm still nervous about there being enough room for the little ones to keep to themselves. So just curious how it went!