Introducing Adult Chickens

[FowlLove]

We have a friend that may be giving us 2 adult chickens. Is there a good chance of them and the baby chicks (23 days old) getting along? I know the pecking order can cause issues. I will supervise them but is it safe to assume they can sleep in the same coop (with no previous issues)? How can I introduce them with the least worry? Thanks!

 

[Aapomp831]

You need to have a strict “see but don’t touch” policy for a little while. Let them see and smell and get used to each other in separate but close pens (or however you choose to divide them) eventually they will get used to each other and you can let them all mingle. I would wait until they are all the same size so everyone has a fair advantage when establishing their pecking order.

 

[HappyDancin']

Yes they can! ...they just need a little time to get used to being around one another.

Hopefully you have an enclosure that you can put next to/in the area where everyone will ultimately be living. It's the "see but don't touch" integration. Your babies will have a bit of an upper hand if you keep them in the true coop/run... you can have the two new hens in a dog crate or something in that same area. Then when the two hens join the main home...the little guys will be the ones who are already used to it, so less chance of being bullied.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is it safe to throw 3 week old and fully grown chickens together? No. It is possible you would be OK but it is a long way from safe. Is it safe for them to sleep in the same coop? Sure, if you keep them fenced in so they are separated. People tend to want absolute answers to what is safe but living animals don't work that way. There are always going to be risks and introducing 3 week olds to adults have several.

What is the safest way for you to introduce 3 week olds to adults? That depends a lot on what your facilities look like. We all have different conditions, what works for me might not work for you. Can you tell us the size, in feet or meters, of any coops and runs that you have? Maybe some photos or at least a verbal description of how they are tied together. A photo or two of the inside of your coop may be helpful. Do they free range or are they confined to a coop and run? How many chicks? The more information we have the more specific we can be in our recommendations.

There are generic suggestions but which you might be able to implement or how will depend on your unique situation. It helps a lot to house them behind wire for a week or more so they can see each other but not touch. When you let them mingle, separate feeding and watering stations can really help. At that different in age a panic room/safe haven may be possible. Having lots of places for the younger ones to hide under, behind, or above can really help. The more room you can give them the better off you are. Try to not force them to be confined in a small area together but let them work that out as much as they can on their own. Patience is often your friend.

Without knowing a lot more about your circumstances I can't get any more specific than this. People do it all the time, usually successfully. But occasionally you can have a disaster. I regularly integrate 5 week olds with my flock with no issues but I start working on that from their first day in the brooder, I have a lot of room, and I have a mature rooster in my flock. All those can help.

 

[azygous]

"Getting along" isn't the issue with three-week old chicks and strange adult chickens. It's the safety of the chicks that's the issue, not the pecking order, which chicks that young aren't yet concerned with.

The adults will naturally chase the chicks, and the chicks will need a safe place to be safe. I use a "panic room" approach where the chicks have a safe enclosure where they can find safe refuge. First, the chicks need a week or two where they can safely observe the adult chickens and learn their temperaments. Then I open small 5x 7" openings into the chick enclosure so the chicks can begin to mingle with the adults. The chicks will then return to their safe have when chased. This safe pen should be in the run where the chickens congregate during the day.

If the chicks are not roosting yet, you will need to supervise the night time sleeping arrangements so the chicks aren't harassed. Teaching the chicks to go into the coop at night will be one of your biggest challenges.

Another issue is food and water. Adult chickens may try to keep the chicks away from food and water so the chicks should have these items in their refuge so they can eat in peace. You also need to provide perches and other things in the run where chicks can escape to. So, after all that, you can have a flock of smalls and bigs that "get along".

 

[FowlLove]

Thank you guys for all your advice! I have pretty much a standard coop and run situation going on. I could buy some wire to separate two ends. I know safety is a big issue and I am definitely concerned for my little ones. What do you guys suggest for a "panic room"? I know there are no specific answers, but how long do you think it will take to integrate them? It's kind of dependent on me whether or not we get the adult ones. My family wants them so that we can have eggs right away. I am just wondering if it's realistic to assume everyone will get along. Someone said that you should wait until they are both the same size which seems like quite a long time. I know it would be safer that way though.

 

[azygous]

Any enclosure will work as a panic room. A large dog crate without a floor can be raised on bricks so the littles can access it by ducking under the sides. Or you can partition off a section of run at one end with some temporary fencing either raised up about four inches so the chicks can duck under or cut the small entrance holes in the walls at two or more points.

My panic room serves the chicks until they are around nine or ten weeks old. By that time, they've achieved some size and also self confidence. They are able to cope with the adults by this time.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't find pure size of the chicken to be that important. There are plenty of flocks where a bantam hen rules over full-sized fowl. If I remember right Azygous has her chicks integrated earlier than I do. I've had two different broody hens that weaned their chicks at 3 weeks, left them totally alone to make their way with the flock, but she had spent three weeks teaching the flock to leave those chicks alone.

I don't define a successful integration as the chicks and hens sitting around a campfire toasting marshmallows for s'mores, singing cum-ba-yah and cuddling up to sleep together. I define a successful integration as when no one gets hurt. Don't be surprised to see you chicks and the hens acting as two separate flocks, the chicks pretty much avoiding the hens, until the chicks mature. That's why room is so important, they need room to avoid.

That means at night the chicks might not sleep on the main roosts with the adults. My pullets usually don't move to the main roosts until about the time they start to lay. Until then they usually sleep somewhere else. I use weasel words like might or usually because there are always exceptions. I see exceptions with my flock. I have seen some very young chicks stand next to hens and eat out of the same feeder. I've had fairly young pullets sleep on the main roosts. But these are exceptions, not what I'd call normal.

 

[aart]

I haven't seen quarantine mentioned(maybe I missed it).
But are you willing to risk the health of your chicks by bringing in adult birds,
that may also bring in pests and/or disease?

Here's one article on the subject of quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
There are others if you search.

 

[FowlLove]

Alright, thanks for the tips! We have a container with a wire lid, I think that’s how we will introduce them. About quarantine..I’m getting them from a friend who’s only ever had/raised these two chickens. I’m pretty sure they are from the same breeder. They’ve had them for maybe two years. If they haven’t shown any kinds of sickness for this long then what’s the point of keeping them away a little longer? Am I missing something or is that right?