Introducing new chickens to the flock

[RubiconChicken]

Question for introducing chicks to the current flock... I brought my 8 week old chicks to the coop but kept them in their brooder for 1 week so they could see the older chickens and vice versa...backstory... I have 13 chickens that they are being introduced to who are 6 weeks older than them. I'm trying to introduce 15 younger chickens.... So, a week is up and a few days ago I took the chicks out of the brooder and let them mingle in with the older chickens. There was some pecking but nothing too significant. It was in the evening and they all slept together peacefully on my roosting set up. Well now that it has been 3 days.. I still haven't noticed any pecking or arguing... however... when the chicks try to go out of the coop... the older chickens chase them back in and won't let them outside I have tried to bring the chicks outside but they just get chased right back in. Will this improve? Is there something I am doing wrong? Thank you!!

 

[ashlierami]

Question for introducing chicks to the current flock... I brought my 8 week old chicks to the coop but kept them in their brooder for 1 week so they could see the older chickens and vice versa...backstory... I have 13 chickens that they are being introduced to who are 6 weeks older than them. I'm trying to introduce 15 younger chickens.... So, a week is up and a few days ago I took the chicks out of the brooder and let them mingle in with the older chickens. There was some pecking but nothing too significant. It was in the evening and they all slept together peacefully on my roosting set up. Well now that it has been 3 days.. I still haven't noticed any pecking or arguing... however... when the chicks try to go out of the coop... the older chickens chase them back in and won't let them outside I have tried to bring the chicks outside but they just get chased right back in. Will this improve? Is there something I am doing wrong? Thank you!!

Question for introducing chicks to the current flock... I brought my 8 week old chicks to the coop but kept them in their brooder for 1 week so they could see the older chickens and vice versa...backstory... I have 13 chickens that they are being introduced to who are 6 weeks older than them. I'm trying to introduce 15 younger chickens.... So, a week is up and a few days ago I took the chicks out of the brooder and let them mingle in with the older chickens. There was some pecking but nothing too significant. It was in the evening and they all slept together peacefully on my roosting set up. Well now that it has been 3 days.. I still haven't noticed any pecking or arguing... however... when the chicks try to go out of the coop... the older chickens chase them back in and won't let them outside I have tried to bring the chicks outside but they just get chased right back in. Will this improve? Is there something I am doing wrong? Thank you!!

Sounds like they are establishing an order. They are the older and dominate ones and they know it. Can you close the coop once they are out of it to keep them from going back inside? Do they have plenty of space? You could give treats to encourage them to come together as a group and be around each other that's what I did when I introduced 2 8 week old chicks to my adult flock. There was some chasing and pecking but eventually they come together as one.

 

[aart]

when the chicks try to go out of the coop... the older chickens chase them back in and won't let them outside I have tried to bring the chicks outside but they just get chased right back in. Will this improve? Is there something I am doing wrong?

Please post some pics of your coop and run, inside and out, so we can see if there may be some changes to be made that would help.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would first make sure there are a lot of hideouts in the run. Places where a bird can get out of sight of other birds, hidden feed bowls behind walls. Pallets, small pieces of plywood, saw horses, roosts, help a great deal. You want it to look cluttered. You want it so that there is not a lot of wide open space. So many people post runs on here that are just an empty rectangle, and a bird can see every other bird from any position.

Second, you "old" bunch is not that old so it kind of depends on your true set up. I am thinking that if you have nearly 30 birds, you would have a rather large set up, or should have. I would either segregate the run but splitting it. Or I would lock the older birds out of the run. I generally lock them out of both the coop/run, but my flock is full size. This lets the chicks explore the entire area without being chased and harassed. They can just see how things are really set up.

If you do have clutter in your run, rearrange it while you have the oldies locked out. This kind of makes their home territory strange to them, which reduces their territorial rights.

Mrs K

 

[BaaKaaawk]

I have dozens of chickens and have been keeping them for a long time... I just toss them in together when they're fully feathered, all ages, sizes, breeds. They're chickens... they will figure it out. Just throw them in and walk away, the hens will establish their order quickly and there will be some feathers lost, but within a day everyone will be happy and just pecking around again.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think there is a big difference in a flock with dozens of chickens verse a small flock of less than a dozen. The smaller group tends to be in more cramped space, and newbies are easily recognized.

I also think that people that regularly add and subtract chickens do not have near the problem of a long established flock, without any additions, perhaps for years.

To each their own way of doing things.

Mrs K

 

[RubiconChicken]

View attachment 1876301

I have dozens of chickens and have been keeping them for a long time... I just toss them in together when they're fully feathered, all ages, sizes, breeds. They're chickens... they will figure it out. Just throw them in and walk away, the hens will establish their order quickly and there will be some feathers lost, but within a day everyone will be happy and just pecking around again.

I was thinking it would be a few day process and they would be good to go. It constant bullying and the older chicks simply won't let the younger ones outside! They are driving me crazy! Heres my coop/run, let me know if you have any advice on changes!

 

[aart]

I have dozens of chickens and have been keeping them for a long time... I just toss them in together when they're fully feathered, all ages, sizes, breeds. They're chickens... they will figure it out. Just throw them in and walk away, the hens will establish their order quickly and there will be some feathers lost, but within a day everyone will be happy and just pecking around again.

I'm guessing you have lots of space and free range @swordspider

I think there is a big difference in a flock with dozens of chickens verse a small flock of less than a dozen. The smaller group tends to be in more cramped space, and newbies are easily recognized.

Ditto Dat^^^

 

[BaaKaaawk]

I'm guessing you have lots of space and free range @swordspider

Yes, I do- but I raise most of mine in a barn stall, then when they're feathered I add them to the flock. Yes they have space to get away to if they need to. At my last house I kept a dozen in a smaller area (though still large by chicken measures!) and they still were fine. It's just those first few days- it is brutal... but that's what chickens do. You can't apply human rational to a flock of birds. They have their own nature to work things out just like you and I do when it comes to other people.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

I was thinking it would be a few day process and they would be good to go. It constant bullying and the older chicks simply won't let the younger ones outside! They are driving me crazy! Heres my coop/run, let me know if you have any advice on changes!

Hi, I didn't see any images attached.