Introducing 1 yr olds hen to 10 week old chickens

[scmg100]

I have 5 almost 10week old hens. I offered to rescue abhen that had others killed she is already egg laying and 1 yr old. Anything I should be aware of when intrudincing her?
Also how should a laying box be for 6 hens?
Thanks new and old to chickens

 

[wolfgirl9]

Keep an eye on your younger chickens. Sometimes older hens may pick on younger ones and vise versa. Make sure there are plenty of resources so the chickens do not fight. They will fight a little at first to establish the pecking order but don't be alarmed because of this. Check that the hen does not have any problems such as mites or diseases. I would also do a quick check on her every day to make sure she is healthy.Best of luck to you and your chickens!

 

[Brookliner]

You will need to quarentine the new hen for a month to be sure she isn't sick. Check her over for lice and mites. You might want to worm her too. It is best to put her on the roost at night after dark. Then when the chickens wake up they might not notice the addition.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would not do this. A single hen addition is a tough integration. And it is very possible that you could add a sickness to your flock and set up. Chicks are a bit more susceptible disease.

Unless you are truly set up to segregate the bird a great distance from your flock, and follow quarantine correctly, the risk is not worth it to me.

Mrs K

 

[bobbi-j]

You will need to quarentine the new hen for a month to be sure she isn't sick. Check her over for lice and mites. You might want to worm her too. It is best to put her on the roost at night after dark. Then when the chickens wake up they might not notice the addition.

Quarantine, as mentioned below, is more than just keeping her out of the pen or coop with the rest of the flock. It's keeping her a long distance from your flock. I've read anywhere from 100 feet to 100 yards. It means changing your clothes and shoes after leaving one coop and going into the other. It means separate waterers and feeders. It means NO CONTACT or chance of contamination for at least a month. And that is if you don't notice a problem. Then you will want to put a "sacrificial bird" in with her to make sure she isn't a carrier of something that your flock could be susceptible to. That means more time of segregation, changing clothes and shoes between flocks, etc. until you know if your other chicken doesn't get sick.

As far as them not noticing if you add a chicken at night... They notice. There will still be integration issues.

I would not do this. A single hen addition is a tough integration. And it is very possible that you could add a sickness to your flock and set up. Chicks are a bit more susceptible disease.

Unless you are truly set up to segregate the bird a great distance from your flock, and follow quarantine correctly, the risk is not worth it to me.

Mrs K

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