Introducing New Hens

[ClaraCluckChicken]

Hello!

I’ve got six hens who are about 3 months old. Three Buff Orpington (except I believe one is a Buff Rock) and three australorps. Today I went to TSC and fell in love with the Olive Eggers and Cinnamon Queens. If I got one of both of those, would my original six pick on them when it was time to introduce them?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Most likely they will. Doesn't mean you can't do it, but have an integration plan ready ahead of time to minimize any issues.

Also realistically do you have room to add more? Integrating with bare minimum space is much more difficult than doing so with extra space, extra clutter, etc.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I'm a firm believer in Chicken Math! I am greatly affected by Chicken Math!
If you are going to get more, I would get more than the 2 chicks you are thinking of. That way you will have an equal number of groups, the older group and the younger group, they will eventually mingle but they may not mingle until they are all the same size.

 

[aart]

Most likely they will. Doesn't mean you can't do it, but have an integration plan ready ahead of time to minimize any issues.

Also realistically do you have room to add more? Integrating with bare minimum space is much more difficult than doing so with extra space, extra clutter, etc.

Ditto Dat!!!

 

[ClaraCluckChicken]

Most likely they will. Doesn't mean you can't do it, but have an integration plan ready ahead of time to minimize any issues.

Also realistically do you have room to add more? Integrating with bare minimum space is much more difficult than doing so with extra space, extra clutter, etc.

We could easily make space for lots of chickens...but I might have to hold off if they’ll end up being mean!

 

[rosemarythyme]

We could easily make space for lots of chickens...but I might have to hold off if they’ll end up being mean!

If you want to expand, expand the set up first, then once that's done, adding new birds will go a lot more smoothly. There'll still be pecking order to sort out, but you really can minimize problems with good preplanning.