Introducing an older hen

[PetesChicks]

I have 4 hens, 2 Silkies that I got in May 2016, and a black Australorp and what I think is a RIR that we rescued in August 2016 (they lived in a 10x10 run of chicken wire, no coop, and slept on a roost about a foot off the ground). They are all about the same age, about 1 1/2 years old. A coworker just asked us if we would take her last chicken, a 5 year old RIR. She had a small flock, but they have all died (not sure if from age or predators).

I have a 10x11 coop, and 10x20 run. I also still have my first coop/tractor, that we got when we got the Silkies, it has a 4x4 coop and a 4x7 run, on wheels. Do you think that it would be possible to integrate the older RIR to my small flock, keeping her in the small coop by herself but in sight of my main run so that they could get to know each other for a couple weeks before they go in together? All my girls get along pretty good now, and we don't want to cause problems for our chickens by adding another hen into the pecking order.

 

[azygous]

That's how I got the latest member of my flock. I adopted her after all her flock were killed by a bobcat and her owner asked if I would take her into my flock so she wouldn't be lonely.

I wrote up the experience of how I integrated her into the flock. It actually went very well after a somewhat rough intro. You can read about it here http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock and maybe get some ideas on how to adapt it to your situation.

 

[PetesChicks]

Thank you. Edith is beautiful, and it looks like it wasn't too hard. I think I'll work on trying to convince my better half that we should do it. What's one more mouth to feed?

 

[azygous]

Turned out Edith is a great layer, and she's also quite assertive and takes no prisoners. She's integrated into the flock like she was always here.

I integrated another hen a year later in the same manner, and it also went very well. She also fits in as if she's always been here.

I think the success and relative lack of conflict is due to the gradual process rather than trying to accomplish it too quickly.