Introducing chicks to the flock

[ecoles1006]

This is my first time posting on BYC but I think you guys might be able to give me some advice. We have an exsisting flock of 3 hens that are about a year old now. We decided to increase our flock by purchasing six more little ones from the tractor supply store. We bought the chicks in early March so they are around 7 weeks old now. Our exsisting flock are Rhode Island Reds, and our new chicks are: 1 Rhode Island Red, 2 Brahma Whites, and 3 Australorp Blacks.

Our chickens are partial free range, we let them out of their fenced area when we are home or are spending time outside in the garden. To introduce our new chicks we added on the the old coop, and added another small section of fenced area to the exsisting fence. To separte the two flocks we put up chicken wire between the new addition and the old part of the coop. The new chicks have been in their part of the coop and fence now for about a week. We know for sure that the new Rhode Island Red is a pullet, but the others are still a question. Our guess right now is that there is one Australorp rooster and one Brahma rooster.

The question I have about this is: When and how should we put the two flocks together without the separating fences?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Usually the introductions should be done outside, so the little ones can run from the pecking older hens. In my experience, the older hens do not appreciate the new comers and can be very brutal. There are lots of threads here on "introducing" or "integrating". Just use the special BYC google bar above right to search.

My guess is the young ones will need to be much larger, physically, to be able to hold their own. Chicken politics can be rough.

 

[braddeeadams]

When I started adding chick to my older flock, I put the chicks in a dog crate and put it in the run with my older ones..I did this for a few days maybe a week. Then I put the chicks in the run with the older flock, supervised...everything worked out great for me!!

 

[justsomeguync]

I have the same concerns. I have three hens and a rooster about a year old, and 25 new chicks. I have two coops and two runs, and the runs share a common fence. My hope is that they will become familiar enough with each other through the wire that problem chickens will be less troublesome once I put them together. I am expecting issues, I just hope they won't be major problems.

 

[Kathi D]

My grown-up hens seem so docile and sweet that it's hard to imagine they will pick on my babies when I mix them up--but I know that they ARE chickens, after all, and not subject to my rules and manners!

I was going to buy 6 chicks but decided to get 8 so that they would match the adults in numbers, hoping that will help the integration. Time will tell! I am not putting the chicks outside just yet.