Introducing New Chickens To Existing Flock Questions

[andylegate]

I've been reading through here on this, and basically what I'm seeing is the answer is: Depends....with about 100 different suggestions, hehehehe.

I'm thinking it also has a lot to do with each situation too. So I'm going to post mine, and would appriciate any advice, tips and suggestions.

We started out with 6 golden laced wyandottes. When they were about 8 weeks old, we got them out to their brand new home, and 16 square foot coop and large chicken run I built.

They did wonderful out there.....and then disaster happened.

I ended up loosing 4 of them to dogs. First dog attack I stopped as it happened during the day, but by the time I had run outside, 2 of them were dead. The dog belonged to my neighbor and he was very upset at what happened (as his dog normally is not running around loose). I told him it was my fault as I was using nylon screen door (and you guessed it, that's how the pup got in, crashed right through it).

Needless to say, my 4 surviving girls were visibly upset.

Two days later......my step mom's dog got loose from her house (we live next door on 10 acres) and broke through my fence. The dog is a siberian husky, and she took 2 more out.

Now my chick run is built like Fort Knox after that. Learned from my mistakes, and have had no problems since with dogs.

But my two remaining wyandottes, Betty and Nugget, are very skittish of anyone going into the run now. They've been on their own since then and are now both about 4.5 months old:


This is Nugget (on the left) and Betty on the right, about 1 month ago.

So they've been on their own for 1 month.

Not too long after the attacks, we got a batch of Cinnamon Queens, 6 of them, and have been raising them in our house. They are pretty much feathered out, and are acting rather "cooped up" so to speak, so we are introducing them to Nugget and Betty. We have been taking their cage from inside and putting them into the chicken run with Betty and Nugget:


Nugget (far left) and Betty, checking out the Cinnamon Queens (picture just 2 days ago)



Both Nugget and Betty have been more curious than aggressive. Nugget does reach in to peck on the Queens......who in turn peck back, hehehehe. The Queens are the most friendly chicks I've ever met. They come right out of their cage and act like puppies, coming right up to me and wanting to be held.

One of the queens even sort of ran at Nugget.

We've been doing this for 3 days now, and it's pretty much the same each day, nothing really aggressive going on, just a lot of "brocking" and "clucking" from Nugget (who's sex I'm STILL not sure about).

So: how long should I do this for? When should I try letting the queens out and seeing how they do with Betty and Nugget?

 

[Tuhmu]

I would go for about a week with what you are doing, look but no touch, is the best way to tone things down a bit. With the cinnamon queens/red stars/red sex-links, they are usually very dominant and end up being, literally, the flock queens and I would expect they will do ok. (as you have already noticed with the queen charging at the Wyandotte) There WILL be the occasional scuffle, just walk away and let them sort it out its in their nature to do so. Only step in if there's blood.

When you put them with your Wyandotte's, make sure you have places where everyone can hide if need be. Something as simple as a piece of plywood laying against a wall will do. "Out of sight, out of mind",you know.

Best of luck to you! I would think that since your introducing them to only two birds, it should go smoothly, but every bird is an individual.

 

[andylegate]

Just wanted to let people know that the Cinnamon Queens are doing fine.

Betty and Nugget still chase them around some, some pecking and tail pulling, but over all things have quieted down, and they seem to be doing fine.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Tuhmu]

Just wanted to let people know that the Cinnamon Queens are doing fine.

Betty and Nugget still chase them around some, some pecking and tail pulling, but over all things have quieted down, and they seem to be doing fine.

Thanks for the help.

Good to hear!

 

[Mrs. K]

I thought they would do ok, not a lot smaller, less chickens with a home turf advantage, more head of new comers, and the new chickens are a more dominant breed. You should really be in the eggs in a couple of months!

Mrs K