Introducing new chicks

[blackwingedwolf]

I want to get new chicks, maybe about a month or two from now, but I'm worried about something someone said. He said that if I introduced new chicks to my small flock, that they would kill the chicks, and if I wait to introduced them once they are older, they'll peck and chase the younger ones away. Is this true? If so, do you have any advice that you can give me? I don't want them any time soon, since I'm still new to raising chickens, but I want to know in case I need to watch out for it when I do get them.

 

[chicmom]

Introductions are always rough with chickens. Adding new members to the flock makes the newbies immediate targets. Chickens can be really ruthless--it's just their nature.

For little chicks, it's best if you can raise them in a brooder, and keep them separate from the mature adult chickens until they're nearly adult sized themselves. (This is just from my own experience.)

Once you put them with the flock, yes, there will be some drama--pecking and squabbling. This will go on for a few days to a week, and then usually, the pecking order is established, and things calm down.

I've found, over the years, that the newbies usually stay in groups. It's like cliques in high school. LOL There are little groups within groups in my flock. I have nine that were raised together from chicks, then I added five more (same age as the nine), and it was kind of rough at first, then everybody settled down, but when I observe, I still see the original nine hanging out together, and then there's the second group of five that hang out together. And when I let them free range, those groups separate too. But generally, they all get along now.

I think it's more upsetting to those of us who watch, then it is to the chickens.......