Introducing hens to a coop with a hen and chicks

[Katie4098]

A month ago we bought 7 year old hens, and have been keeping them in a chicken tractor in quarantine. Now we are ready to move them into our coop with our head rooster and his 3 hens. Problem is, one of the 3 hens turned broody and just hatched out 8 chicks over the weekend and is in the same coop.

Do you foresee any issues with bringing in the new hens while mama hen and babies are there? We need the chicken tractor for our indoor chicks who are almost ready to go outside. The hens and rooster who are currently sharing the coop are very respectful of mama hen and leave the chicks alone. I'm just not sure if the new hens will be the same.

 

[aart]

So you have?:
3 hens, 1 hen with 8 newly hatched chicks, and a cock/erel.
7 one year old hens.
And how many chicks in the house?

HooBoy, sounds like a real chicken math clustertangle challenge!!!

How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.
Maybe you could split off part of both for area(s) to assist with integration.
You may need another tractor or coop run combo.

Glad you quarantined,
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
but that's for before integration even begins.

Here's some tips about......
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Mrs. K]

If she is a good broody hen, she will be fine. More than likely there will be a dust up or two, but if she just hatched them, the hormones should be riding pretty high, and she will do quite a bit of posturing. My own broods have generally kept themselves between the flock and the chicks.

I think that the new girls would be pretty intimidated in coming into a new set up. There might be a dust up between the rooster and the new girls too. Space, hideouts, multiple roosts, and multiple feeders are all good strategies.

I would not worry about the hen and chicks too much. Unless she is a pretty weak broody hen, and usually hens that hatch out, really are not. Or at least mine are not.

Mrs K

 

[Katie4098]

Thanks for both of your replies. We ended up moving them in last night and they appear to all be doing well today. Mama hen moved herself and chicks to a different nest area in a more secluded spot in the coop. This coop is a former horse barn. There's another coop right beside it, but my silkie roo and his hen are in there, along with two juvenile Easter Eggers who are approximately the same size. I don't have any others around those sizes currently so that's all we can keep in there for now. I don't remember the sq footage, but both coops together are supposed to house 40 adult chickens, so they are pretty large. We also let the chickens in those coops free range. We plan to let them all out again in a couple days once the new hens get used to it.

And yes, she is a very good broody hen! She comes at us with her wings out if we get closer than she likes. Before going broody she was the most shy and timid hen. It's amazing how motherhood changes one!

 

[aart]

I don't remember the sq footage, but both coops together are supposed to house 40 adult chickens, so they are pretty large.

Pics would be good

Before going broody she was the most shy and timid hen. It's amazing how motherhood changes one!

They get ferocious! Then seem to revel in their new power.
Glad the move is working out.

 

[cluckadoodledoo13]

Thanks for both of your replies. We ended up moving them in last night and they appear to all be doing well today. Mama hen moved herself and chicks to a different nest area in a more secluded spot in the coop. This coop is a former horse barn. There's another coop right beside it, but my silkie roo and his hen are in there, along with two juvenile Easter Eggers who are approximately the same size. I don't have any others around those sizes currently so that's all we can keep in there for now. I don't remember the sq footage, but both coops together are supposed to house 40 adult chickens, so they are pretty large. We also let the chickens in those coops free range. We plan to let them all out again in a couple days once the new hens get used to it.

And yes, she is a very good broody hen! She comes at us with her wings out if we get closer than she likes. Before going broody she was the most shy and timid hen. It's amazing how motherhood changes one!

Glad everyone is doing ok and getting on! Good luck and congratulations with the chicks!

 

[Mrs. K]

If didn't have problems, you probably won't, they solved it.