introducing a new hen

[farmgirl277]

So today I aquired a new hen that appears to be about tbe same age as my two hens and rooster (under 6 months). She is in qurentine right now, but I have no idea how to interduce her to my flock. I understand there will be sone fighting over dominance. I was thinking of waiting till almost bed time and then interduce her to the low hen, then the high hen, then both and edventully add the rooster. Any better sujestions?

 

[farmgirl277]

Here she is

 

[farmgirl277]

Anyone??

 

[cafarmgirl]

Some people say it works to just pop them into the coop at night. It has never, ever worked for me. Especially in a small flock and when introducing a single new bird. The older ones are smart enough to know in the morning that there is a newbie in their midst. If you are not there very early to supervise it can go very badly for the new bird. Chickens HATE newcomers and they can be seriously brutal, even to the point of killing new birds.

If you have a good rooster he will help a lot. If he is a good rooster! So I would leave him in with them when you do introduce the new bird. My rooster is quick to break up squabbles between older flock members and new birds but he is a mature bird and has been doing his job for a long time. You will just need to watch and see how yours does since he is young.

The best way to integrate a new bird is to fence off part of the run for her so she can spend her days next to the other birds and they can get used to seeing her around. I do this for a couple weeks. I let the new ones sleep in the coop in a wire dog crate, again, they can see her but not touch/attack.

Just know that it can be very, very hard to integrate a single new bird into a small flock, it can really take some time. I have done it a couple times, with much stress, headache and hair tearing out. I will not do it again. These days I won't integrate any less then three at a time, it's just a lot easier. You do have the advantage that your birds are young and hopefully it will work out fine. Just be prepared to go slow with it, give them plenty of time to get used to her and watch when you do let them share space. It's usually best to let them out to free range or roam in a yard and let the new one out with them. There will still be some normal pecking order scuffles but they should be minor and there should be no blood drawn.

 

[farmgirl277]

Okay. Thanks. I realise that it will be hard because the other ones are close knit, but I rescued hrr and didnt have the choice of having more. Do you have any idea what breed she could be?
Thank you, Alex