Introducing new chicks to a small flock

[Cntry2CityChick]

Hi Everyone,
I have a mixed flock of 5 hens. Started with 8.. 1 was a rooster (had to send him to a Rooster Rescue since we can't have chickens in our City), 1 was taken in July by a bobcat, and 1 just passed away last night. We buried her this morning and the girls just laid on her grave for awhile so I put them back in their hen house

I went to our local feed store to get the girls some treats and they have 2 Cuckoo Marans that are 5 wks old. My current flock is 1 Delaware 11 mos., 1 Welsummer 10 1/2 mos, 1 Rhode Island Red 10 1/2 mos, 1 Buff Orpington 10 1/2 mos and 1 Ameracauna 10 mos. We are wondering if 2 Cuckoo Marans will blend well with our current girls and if this is a good or bad time to introduce new chicks to the flock (Miss Beasley 11 mos just passed away late last night.. no signs of sickness so I believe the heat was just too much for her, it has been in the low 100s this week).

We would really appreciate any feedback.
Thank you

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I usually integrate new chicks between 6-8 weeks old so they would be a good age, I usually pen mine within the flock for a week or two, so everyone can have a look at them, your flock dynamics might change a bit depending on the pecking order of the ones you lost, but I don't think there should be much problems with adding these two little ones

 

[aart]

Depends on how much space you have, it's best if they are kept in a 'look no touch' situation for at least a couple weeks.


Here's some notes I've taken on integration that I found to be very helpful.......
......take what applies or might help and ignore the rest.
See if any of them, or the links provided at the bottom, might offer some tips that will assist you in your situation:

Integration of new chickens into flock.

Consider medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
Poultry Biosecurity
BYC 'medical quarantine' search

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact. Integrating new birds of equal size works best.

For smaller chicks I used a large wire dog crate right in the coop for the smallers. I removed the crate door and put up a piece of wire fencing over the opening and bent up one corner just enough for the smallers to fit thru but the biggers could not. Feed and water inside the crate for the smallers. Make sure the smallers know how to get in and out of the crate opening before exposing them to the olders. this worked out great for me, by the time the crate was too small for the them to roost in there(about 3 weeks), they had pretty much integrated themselves to the olders.

If you have too many smallers to fit in a crate you can partition off part of the coop with a wire wall and make the same openings for smallers escape.


The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide out of line of sight and/or up and away from any bully birds.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best of mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

Another option, if possible, is to put all birds in a new coop and run, this takes the territoriality issues away.

Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[Cntry2CityChick]

Thank you both so much!
We did get the two 5 wk old Cuckoo Marans. Cleaned out our coop while all the chickens pecked around in the yard, and created a separate area for the new chicks. Pecking order isn't clear (to me) with my hens as they have all gotten along and stayed together. I think the Barred Rock that was taken by a bobcat got was the one in charge (funny because she was one of the youngest), next one of my oldest (a Delaware) seemed to just start being a little bossy before she passed away. When we buried her, all the hens ran over and laid on her grave. They stayed there for awhile each time they were out for about 2 days.
One of my middle hens (a Welsummer) seems to be the one that is deciding whether or not anyone can go near the new chicks. She wasn't happy when we brought them home... she stood tall, fluffed out her neck feathers and strutted around the yard (keeping her eye on them the whole time)... so I think she's the new leader.
We brought them home Saturday morning, watched everyone all day to make sure nobody was being bullied (they weren't). In the morning the new chicks found their way over the wire enclosure and were roaming around the coop... didn't seem to bother the hens. They sleep and eat in their enclosure, in the coop, but come out in the morning. So far, everyone seems to be doing ok. Penny (Welsummer) has calmed down and isn't strutting anymore. As you recommended, I still plan on keeping them separate for at least the next 2 weeks (or until they grow out of their grow mash and are ready to eat with the big girls.
Thank you so much!