Integrating younger chicks into flock

[Gabrielle1313]

I have only two hens and a rooster and i would like to next spring raise more chicks to put in the flock. But i'm not sure what age to put the younger hen with the other chickens. Will younger hens be picked on by the older ones? What age should the new chicks be for when I introduce them to the others? And when can the two groups live together without conflict?

 

[rjohns39]

There are lots of opinions out there on this issue and most of them are right. So I'll tell you what I do. I hatch my chicks, and put them in the brooder for 3 weeks. After 3 weeks I keep them in shelters in a different pasture for 5 weeks. When they are 8 weeks old, I put them in a shelter in the pasture with the rest of the flock for two weeks. After the two week introduction, I release them into the flock and watch for signs of "real" danger.

That said, when you release them there will be craziness. The younger ones will have already established their pecking order, just as the flock has done. Those young ones at the top of the pecking order will challenge older ones lower on the pecking order and the craziness will ensue. This can continue for hours or days, until the new flock re-orders itself.

Make sure you have blue cote and veterisyn on hand and a hospital cage ready. if one of the birds gets bloody the others are likely to attack. Best to clean the wound, blue coat it and put them back in. If the blue coat works, the other birds will not attack again. If it doesn't, well, you'll need to move that bird to the hospital until it heals. I've had mixed results with it. Once the pecking order is redefined all will likely be fine, at least for a while. As birds age and get bigger, they get braver and some will challenge the order. These are generally short lived fights. If the bird advances aka through victory over another bird, then it will likely challenge the next one in the chain. However, these skirmishes are fairly mundane and not likely to be critical. Always watch for blood on a bird and how the others are reacting. Only intercede when life is in peril. My hens rarely get bloody but they constantly change the order. My roos on the other hand often get bloody. That said, when they are not being attacked I leave them be. Every time I've inserted my self in the process, the whole order has to be re-defined.

Hope that helps.

 

[aart]

I have only two hens and a rooster and i would like to next spring raise more chicks to put in the flock. But i'm not sure what age to put the younger hen with the other chickens. Will younger hens be picked on by the older ones? What age should the new chicks be for when I introduce them to the others? And when can the two groups live together without conflict?

Welcome to BYC!
Your birds are very young, and the male is gone?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/traumatized-chickens.1190626/

FYI.....semantics, maybe, but can be important communication terms when discussing chicken behavior.
Female chickens are called pullets until one year of age, then they are called hens.
Male chickens are called cockerels until one year of age, then they are called cocks(or cockbirds or roosters).

I've found integrating chicks very young(3-4weeks) is the easiest,
but you have to have your coop set up to do it.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

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.


This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock