Introducing new chickens - Not Going Well at all..

[tashaner]

We have 3 Silkie hens ranging in age from 3 to 5 months. They all get along great with no issues.

We brought home two more silkie hens, one around 3 months and the other 5 1/2 months.

We are attempting to integrate the new ones into the flock and have been using the 'see but no touch' method to get them used to each other. We have the main run divided with a dog 'exercise pen' with the new ones in the pen.

One of our original flock is going NUTS! She paces around the pen, makes growling noises and is sticking her head and neck into the pen to try to get at the new ones. We tried introducing them in a big open run at first, and the two new ones got attacked without mercy. We then back tracked and went to the pen within the run. Still not going well.

At the moment, the original crew have the main run and coop, while the newcomers are in our original prefab coop/run further out in the yard. We do have the old coop 'connected' to the main run using some temporary fencing and have let the existing chickens out into this 'free range run' to try to get them used to things.

It isn't working at all. Granted, it's only been a couple of days but I've never seen this level of aggression before. When we introduced 'Phyllis' and 'BlueBell' to 'Ethel and Lucy' there was just a little pecking order thing and then they were all fine. It's Phyllis that is the main aggressor at the moment.

I feel terrible for everyone and am beginning to think adding these two was a mistake.

What is 'Normal' when trying to do all this? What can we do different?

 

[llombardo]

I'm going through this. I reversed it and so far so good.

In the morning I let the smaller ones(in your case new ones) have the run. The others are locked up. I have been doing baby steps. They had the run all day, next day I added one of the older girls at about 2, second girl about 4 and the boy at about 7, next day I added them a little earlier, next day earlier. There has only been a couple chases but do to them know knowing the run, they got away.

Before I did this I added hiding spots. I already had spots to go up high. I needed the smaller ones to get familiar with the run so they could get away. This was advised by people here and it made the world of difference.

 

[tashaner]

So far the big issue is the one girl just going into full on attack mode. She's never been a bully before, but she just terrorizes the new ones. Then the others get wound up and things get worse. It might be a thought to isolate the 'bully' and introduce the more docile ones, one at a time.

I'm just not sure what is normal and when to be worried, or give up.

 

[llombardo]

Mine were out there for a month with the see no touch. It still was a nightmare. They have been sleeping together in the coop for a while now. You would think that would have helped--Nope.

If the new ones are not familiar with the run, they won't know where to go to get out of the way. I think that should be the first thing. I back tracked to that, because it was not getting any better.

 

[MissChick@dee]

My newbies were in a pen within the pen and when I removed the fence between old/new they already had their side and knew hide outs and safe areas. Maybe allow more time separated. My leghorn screamed nonstop she was not happy about the newbies. FOR like a month. Now she does it when they go into the nesting boxes. Spoiled rotten does the drama ever end?