Introducing single baby to 1 yr old hens??

[schonchalice]

Hi, I have 2 hens that are about a year old. I got 2 baby Polish chicks to add to the little family but one died. The other is healthy and is being raised in a box in my room right now. I put a mirror in there so she doesn't feel lonely. I read that it is very difficult to add a single baby chick to older hens. Any suggestions or advise? Thanks

 

[jjrj254]

I don't think putting it in there with the older girls will be a good idea, they might peck her to death

 

[SummerSaige]

Wait until your chick is a little older before trying to put her with the older hens. Once the chick is older, let her range around the flock's run, so that the flock can see her and get used to her without being able to hurt her. Once they get familiarized, let them out together. That way, if the chick is getting pecked on, she can run away and hide. Keep doing this for a couple of weeks before shutting them in the coop together for the night. It's always hard introducing new birds to a current flock so be patient! Good luck!

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Weird looking chickens like Polish have a tendency to get picked & pecked on by regular chickens so continue to hand raise it until it's almost full grown.

 

[schonchalice]

I'm not going to put it in there for a really long time I know I have to wait. I've been slowly introducing them to each other by letting it outside in a separate box a couple inches away from the coop with them so they get used to it. Right now for only a little bit. I am going to wait till it gets a lot bigger to actually introduce them to each other and let them in the same area. I didn't know if maybe slowly introducing them to each other over a long period of time had any good effect... I have a pretty big property and I let them free range but not together yet. I was just wondering if anyone had some good advice, or knew any tricks. I think if I were to get another little chick, this chick would kill it because it's pretty big now and just about all the feathers have come in.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

In your first post you called it a baby chick so I was thinking like a day-several days old. In your last post you said it was mostly feathered now so it's older than what I was thinking and it might work right now, depends on the personalities & temperments of the bigger hens. A little pecking is cool but if they attack it be prepared to intervene. Supervise them, just don't put them all together in the pen then leave for the day because your little Polish may be injured or dead when you return.

 

[schonchalice]

Lol, yeah, sorry it's still a baby chick to me, haha. He/She's just about a month or 2 old now. I waited the 30 days to quarantine them. Just one got sick and passed, but the other is healthy and growing so fast

 

[schonchalice]

I wouldn't leave them alone together unless I knew they are getting along