Introducing new members under special circumstances

[TwoDogFarm]

If all goes well, we will have six chicks hatching out from an incubator on Sunday. I know it will be a while before we have to cross this bridge but I will go ahead and ask the questions.

We have a small flock that consists of two hens (one is a Buff Orpington who is partially blind--blinded by her original flock, and a bantam Red Pyle) and two roosters (one of these is the Buff size and the other is a bantam). These chickens get along great but our numbers are a little unbalanced and with mating season here, the roosters have been getting a little too frisky with the girls and with each other.

We are hoping to add these new chickens (provided they are all hens) to that flock to even things out.

1. Do you think these chickens will be okay with my partially blind hen or do you think they may try to kill her? Would age be a factor in establishing the pecking order?

2. At what age can we introduce them all?

3. What is the best way to introduce new members to an existing flock, especially with the challenge of my one being partially blind?

And just to clarify, all of these babies will be Buff Orpingtons.

 

[HighStreetCoop]

I think if you follow the advice in the learning center and either introduce them through a fence (seeing no touching) or introduce them when they're smaller and you can make them a bolt hole to a safe zone the bigger birds can't into, you should be fine. But there's no way to say for sure that when they're adults and the pecking order is getting established to fully include them that they won't hurt the blind hen if she doesn't back down when challenged.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock