Introducing new chickens at 6 weeks

[Newchickenmammy]

I've two possible three roosters out of 6. I will have to rehome 2. If I want to add two more hens how difficult is it or what advice can you give me

 

[BigECart]

You would need to quarantine the new hens and then keep them with your existing flock, but separated until they are used to each other.

 

[BigECart]

You might need to keep them separated longer since your existing flock is so young. You want them to be similar sizes so that the larger hens can’t injure the younger ones.

 

[Ryguy3684]

Are you getting new girls of the same age, or starting with chicks? X2 on the quarantine of new birds that are older. If you can, section off part of your run, so they can look but not touch. If you're starting with day olds, try to brood them in the coop, sectioned off from the rest. That way they'll get used to seeing each other.

 

[Ryguy3684]

If you search adding chicks to existing flock, there are tons of threads with some great info.

 

[Ridgerunner]

how difficult is it or what advice can you give me

People do this all the time. Sometimes it is extremely easy, sometimes pretty rough. Age of the new ones and the old ones can have a big effect on how easy it is or what methods to use. How big your facilities are and how they are tied together is important information. It's hard to get specific when I don't know what you are working with.

Some generic things that often help are to house them across wire from each other for a while so they can see but don't touch. Widely separated feeding and watering stations can reduce conflict. How much room you have in your coop and run and how you manage that room is very important. Adding clutter can improve he quality of what room you do have. Clutter means having things they can hide under, behind, or above. Some of us believe the younger you start the better. Others want to wait until they are practically grown.

The more information about your plans and what you have to work with the more likely we can give you good suggestions. People do this all the time.

 

[Newchickenmammy]

I'm hoping to get some the same age so around 6 weeks. At the moment I only have a coop and run in my back garden. I had 6 chicks to start but I now believe 3 are roosters and may need to rehome 2. So I want to replace those two with 2 females.

 

[NatJ]

With yours at six weeks, there's a very good chance that you can just put the new ones in, watch for a bit, and they'll be fine. Of course there will be a bit of chasing and pecking, but I expect it will not cause any injuries, and will settle down pretty soon (less than a day.)

Since you will have four, and add two more, it should also work fine if the new ones are a little bit older (1-3 weeks older), because they will be outnumbered as well as being the newcomers.

It also helps if you add some kind of treat or distraction when you put the new ones in--I suggest a clump of sod, or a shovel-ful of dirt or compost to scratch through. That helps keep the current ones from all ganging up on the new ones at the same time, because they also have something else to think about. And by the time they are bored with it, they are used to the new ones being there.

If just putting them together does not work, then you can do what several other folks already suggested, and let them live next to each other but separated by wire for a bit, to get used to each other without being able to hurt each other.

 

[Newchickenmammy]

With yours at six weeks, there's a very good chance that you can just put the new ones in, watch for a bit, and they'll be fine. Of course there will be a bit of chasing and pecking, but I expect it will not cause any injuries, and will settle down pretty soon (less than a day.)

Since you will have four, and add two more, it should also work fine if the new ones are a little bit older (1-3 weeks older), because they will be outnumbered as well as being the newcomers.

It also helps if you add some kind of treat or distraction when you put the new ones in--I suggest a clump of sod, or a shovel-ful of dirt or compost to scratch through. That helps keep the current ones from all ganging up on the new ones at the same time, because they also have something else to think about. And by the time they are bored with it, they are used to the new ones being there.

If just putting them together does not work, then you can do what several other folks already suggested, and let them live next to each other but separated by wire for a bit, to get used to each other without being able to hurt each other.

Thank you this is great advice