Introducing new chickens to flock

idjsibb

In the Brooder
May 3, 2022
8
18
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I have 7, 3 Year old girls and we bought 3 more chicks in February. He raised them in a run in my garage during cold spring and now they are 4 months old. We let them out into the back yard during day with the other 7…. The other 7 chase and peck these new girls anytime they get close…. They even seem to “stalk” the new chickens. I have built a new coop ( bigger) and want to put them all in the new coop and run…. Do I just let them fight it out? Having the 3 new girls makes me afraid of confining them where they can’t get away….. what should I do? Introduce one chicken at a time to the new girls in the new house and run?
 
what should I do? Introduce one chicken at a time to the new girls in the new house and run?
I would try that idea.

It will let the new ones become comfortable in the new run, and will let the old ones get to know them while hopefully not being able to outnumber & overwhelm them.

Or you could continue to keep them in two separate pens, and let them be in the yard together during the day, until after the younger ones start laying eggs. At that point, they will probably become less timid, and may be able to fit into the adult flock more easily. If you try this, I would put the new ones in the new coop & run now, and start adding the older ones after you see changes in how they act while they are out in the yard.
 
This is just my experience, but under no conditions ever attempt to introduce a single new bird to a flock. The rest of your chickens will peck it to death. If it is one or 3 or 4 new birds, the rest of the flock will be less likely to kill them. Also, if you put the new chickens in the new run for a week so they get used to it, then add the older birds, the old birds will be in a new area and are less likely to cause problems.
 
This is just my experience, but under no conditions ever attempt to introduce a single new bird to a flock. The rest of your chickens will peck it to death. If it is one or 3 or 4 new birds, the rest of the flock will be less likely to kill them. Also, if you put the new chickens in the new run for a week so they get used to it, then add the older birds, the old birds will be in a new area and are less likely to cause problems.
Thanks for your reply.
 
I agree - put the young ones in the new set up for two or three days. Make sure there are hideouts, extra roosts, clutter in the run. Multiple feed dishes set up so that a bird eating at one dish, cannot see a bird eating at another dish. Then late in the afternoon, as close to dark as possible, put the old birds in the new coop.

Do watch the next day, it might be that one or two of the old birds will need to be put back in their former set up, until the integration is a settled between the rest. Then a few days later, add those more aggressive birds back, one at a time.

Mrs K
 

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