INTEGRATING ONE YEAR OLD HEN INTO YOUNG FLOCK

[LadiesAndJane]

Hello all you wise and experienced soles out there! I finally am getting a young olive egger hen (ameraucana/BCM cross) from a local breeder after waiting for her for a few months. She has been laying, but currently is molting so egg production has slowed down.
I have an existing flock of young birds, ages 9-16 weeks, that after much effort are finally getting along well (they were two diffferent sets of brooded chicks). They are establishing their pecking order after much back and forth on who was going to be the boss. I see many threads here on how to integrate young birds into an existing older flock, but not many that are the opposite situation. The breeder, who has over 100 birds, says I can just put the hen in with the others, but I thought I should do the look don't touch method described here in many threads. (I used it to blend my two groups of chicks) Anyone have any experience with this type of situation? Thanks for any feedback! I do appreciate you all!

 

[LittleBigBantam]

I say put her in at night! That's what I do. They are friendlier when they spend a whole night in close contact then wake up together

 

[CluckerFamily]

I am usually integrating young pullets or an older rooster. I do the see but no touch method. I have integrated 3 batches of young pullets and 2 different roosters this way. I personally like this method because of the way I have it set up, I have to move the new member from inside the coop to outside and vice versa; they get use to me handling them then.

 

[aart]

I finally am getting a young olive egger hen (ameraucana/BCM cross) from a local breeder after waiting for her for a few months. She has been laying, but currently is molting so egg production has slowed down.

How old is she? NM. Year old...like 14-18 months?
Probably won't lay until days get longer again and she done molting.

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

I say put her in at night! That's what I do. They are friendlier when they spend a whole night in close contact then wake up together

That might work....but I'd have a Plan B ready to go.


Have you considered biological/medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article


These are good tips for all ages.....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Mrs. K]

Really a single hen can be a hard interrogation, but with the hen being older, and probably a bit crabby due to molting, she is probably be a bit aggressive toward the chicks. However, there are so many more chicks than her, they will quickly learn to give her space, and stay out of her reach.

I would just put her in.

Mrs K

 

[LadiesAndJane]

My 10 week old pullet is currently the boss, even over some of her older flock mates. Funny to see her stand up to them when they try to take the upper hand, she is half their size. I am curious to see how their behavior may change with the addtion of this older bird.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Thank you so much @aart for all the awesome advice. Just read thorugh the links. Loved the articles, especially the sweet one about Edith the rescue hen!