Introducing chickens to a existing flock

[ChickenDude12345]

I just got offered 3 isa browns for free by a neighbor. We are going in winter here in northern nh. How should I go about introducing them. I only have one coop and don’t know how to slowly introduce them while it’s winter. What can I do? HELP I REALLY WANT THEM THERE HAS TO BE A WAY

 

[Mrs. K]

I would be so there with you and wanting the girls, but do you have enough space. MEASURE IT. If you don't integrations can be ugly.

This is what I would do:

• I already have a lot of clutter in my run, mini walls, roosts, platforms, places where birds can get out of sight of each other
• I set up a feed bowl for every 3 birds... nothing fancy, one is an old hub cap, but they are situated so that a bird eating at one station, cannot see birds at a different station.
• Then I would let my original birds out of the coop/run set up, and then put the new birds locked IN the coop/run. This lets them explore the new situation without being chased for their lives
• I would feed along the fence, so that the outside birds, and inside bird eat with each other, but fenced apart
• I would wait to as close to dark as I dared, then let the original girls back in
• I would NOT shut the pop up door, and I would go down early in the morning to check.

Mrs K

 

[3KillerBs]

Here are some useful articles on integration:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-“see-but-don’t-touch”-method.67839/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/adding-to-your-flock.47756/

Make sure that you have enough space. Integration requires more than minimum space -- chickens that feel crowded will defend their territory fiercely.

Also, consider quarantine.

 

[Ridgerunner]

For us to give you specific advice for your unique situation we need to know what you have to work with, Otherwise all we can do is offer generic suggestions which might or might not apply to you. The kind of information we need is the size of your coop in feet, the size of your run in feet, and what they look like. Photos inside the coop and showing what your outside area looks like can be really helpful. How old are these ISA Browns? How many other chickens do you already have, how old are they, and do you have a rooster? Can they get outside of the coop when there is snow on the ground or you have a winter storm? Do you consider your run predator proof? Do you free range?

Provided you have enough room, adding adults to adults can be more violent initially but it's usually over with pretty quickly. If juveniles re involved it can last longer but, with room, it's often not really violent. There can be exceptions to either of these. There are tricks and techniques that can often help but I don't know what you have to work with so I don't know if or how you can apply those.