Introducing new chickens to your coop.

[R&JChickenshack]

What is the best way to introduce your new chickens to your coop. We just bought some last night at the auction, and put them in our coop, while they were roosting. This morning they seem to be establishing a new "pecking" order. However none of them seem to be overly aggressive. This is my first post so I hope to hear back from ya.

God Bless and Happy Roosting.

 

[Runt Of The Litter]

putting new chucks in with the old chucks isnt what woud personaly do as it is quite a shock to the system for both groups.
its safer for them to have a seperate coop and run for both groups-right next to each other,and after x amount of days allow them to free range together outside of their runs/coops,then the final step will be introducing new chuck into the main run.
its not unusual to see scuffles and chest puffing at the start whilst theyre arguing over their group hierarchy but the new one only needs removing in the adjoined coop/run for space/time out if the aggression is at the point where theyre drawing blood or totaly plucking them.

from personal experience,have found just putting them all in together is to high a risk.
without our knowledge,we had squeaks put into our main coop/run as soon as she was transfered down from our farm by its owner,squeaks was a lovely,friendly but easily bullied hen and henny had set out to prove she totaly owned her,was very uncomfortable with the arrangement and so was everyone else,but after some days,henny had calmed her agressive showboating down and the pair were the best of friends.


keep watching their behavior closely for the time being,but hopefuly these are some fairly chilled out hens.

 

[R&JChickenshack]

thanks for the comment,

I think we will try it a little different next time. We bought a really pretty Blue Sumatra hen and she keeps standing out in the rain. I don't guess this will hurt her if it doesn't get to cold. I have a coop that is suspended off the ground, so we chased them all under it and blocked it off so they can get out in the rain just in case. when it gets alittle later or less rainy we will open it up so they can go in to roost.

I can't really afford to make a new coop but I will try to cage them up together for a few days next time. That may make a better transition period for them all.

 

[Jloeffler]

When I have brought new birds home in the past I have used a dog kennel to transport them. I leave the new bird in the dog kennel inside the run area so that they can all get used to each other but can't attack or harm. I do this for at least a couple of hours, longer if the weather/time/conditions allow for it. Then release them together at night when they are calmest. It has worked very well in the past. I totally understand not being able to build more coops as we are limited in space and money in the same respect.