Fieldsfive
Chirping
Spoiler Alert: It only took 3 weeks to have a cooperative flock of 5, after integrating one solo hen (same age/similar size/different color) into a current flock of 4. I'm sharing my experience here because it was what I was looking for before I embarked on this journey.
To start, I made a temporary chicken wire gate that sectioned off the last three feet of my run so Ghost (the new White Leghorn hen) could be seen but not touched. I quickly realized they needed a slower introduction after she and another went beak to beak and claw to claw despite the chicken wire. So, I set a piece of cardboard on one side that covered the lower 4 feet so no one could peck and scratch another. They heard each other all day, plus every day I let the original 4 out to forage in the yard and set Ghost up in one end with a movable fence for about an hour or so. There they could warily eye each other, engage in some posturing and pecks but also move away at will. These happened a few times with 3 of the original flock. By day 4 though, there was less aggression and more side by side conversations and grazing along the fence line.
At night I would wait until the 4 were roosting and then put Ghost in a wire dog kennel (with a small rug on top) in the coop with them. She was clearly antsy and vocal about wanting to join the others from day 2, but I wanted to go very slow for the most harmonious outcome. By night 4, she was pacing and calling out at dusk to be let in with the others into the coop. On night 9, I checked the chicken camera in the coop to see if my original 4 were settled, and discovered 5 hens a-roosting! Ghost had somehow escaped her temporary run enclosure and entered the coop with the others to roost, all on her own.
In the morning, I made sure to be out there when they started stirring in case of aggression. I observed for a few hours, both in person and from afar and could see that Ghost was a bit aggressive and the others were trying to move away from her whenever she approached. (Sadly, she really wanted to be accepted and kept trying to get close, only to have the others run away.). I put her in the separate enclosure again for a few hours while I was away. Then I had them forage outside together (neutral ground), watching closely. I also rearranged the end of the run where Ghost first stayed to make it less “hers” and more communal for all to enjoy. That worked well. Over the next 2 days, I noticed that the original 4 were staying in the coop, instead of moving about the run during much of the days, and I also noticed that a few postures seemed to be those of fright- not moving much, facing the coop wall, etc… I waited until I witnessed Ghost peck hard at another and immediately caught her, put her in chicken jail (the kennel in the coop) and left her there for about 4 hours. The others then freely moved about as normal and with great relief. Upon release, she had a noticeable attitude adjustment and was far less likely to peck. Two days later I had to do it again for only 2 hours, to let the original 4 have free movement back in the run. Again, a major improvement in Ghost’s behavior.
By week 3, they were all moving about freely, not running away from Ghost at every approach, and acting more like their old selves. The only true aggression point was sometimes at Ghost’s original food source, but they have two others to use, so it wasn’t a big deal. There may have been some residual grumpy pecking between all hens for another week or so, but all completely benign in the end.
I love my new and happy flock of 5!
Day 1- Ghost is in her isolated space with chicken wire, before the first fight and cardboard barrier was put up.
Day 9- She escaped to roost on the corner of the wood.
Day 11- Co-mingling together in the run (original 4 remained wary and ready to run, but did get close to Ghost)
Day 17- Aggression issue resolved, all 5 mingling without issue
To start, I made a temporary chicken wire gate that sectioned off the last three feet of my run so Ghost (the new White Leghorn hen) could be seen but not touched. I quickly realized they needed a slower introduction after she and another went beak to beak and claw to claw despite the chicken wire. So, I set a piece of cardboard on one side that covered the lower 4 feet so no one could peck and scratch another. They heard each other all day, plus every day I let the original 4 out to forage in the yard and set Ghost up in one end with a movable fence for about an hour or so. There they could warily eye each other, engage in some posturing and pecks but also move away at will. These happened a few times with 3 of the original flock. By day 4 though, there was less aggression and more side by side conversations and grazing along the fence line.
At night I would wait until the 4 were roosting and then put Ghost in a wire dog kennel (with a small rug on top) in the coop with them. She was clearly antsy and vocal about wanting to join the others from day 2, but I wanted to go very slow for the most harmonious outcome. By night 4, she was pacing and calling out at dusk to be let in with the others into the coop. On night 9, I checked the chicken camera in the coop to see if my original 4 were settled, and discovered 5 hens a-roosting! Ghost had somehow escaped her temporary run enclosure and entered the coop with the others to roost, all on her own.
In the morning, I made sure to be out there when they started stirring in case of aggression. I observed for a few hours, both in person and from afar and could see that Ghost was a bit aggressive and the others were trying to move away from her whenever she approached. (Sadly, she really wanted to be accepted and kept trying to get close, only to have the others run away.). I put her in the separate enclosure again for a few hours while I was away. Then I had them forage outside together (neutral ground), watching closely. I also rearranged the end of the run where Ghost first stayed to make it less “hers” and more communal for all to enjoy. That worked well. Over the next 2 days, I noticed that the original 4 were staying in the coop, instead of moving about the run during much of the days, and I also noticed that a few postures seemed to be those of fright- not moving much, facing the coop wall, etc… I waited until I witnessed Ghost peck hard at another and immediately caught her, put her in chicken jail (the kennel in the coop) and left her there for about 4 hours. The others then freely moved about as normal and with great relief. Upon release, she had a noticeable attitude adjustment and was far less likely to peck. Two days later I had to do it again for only 2 hours, to let the original 4 have free movement back in the run. Again, a major improvement in Ghost’s behavior.
By week 3, they were all moving about freely, not running away from Ghost at every approach, and acting more like their old selves. The only true aggression point was sometimes at Ghost’s original food source, but they have two others to use, so it wasn’t a big deal. There may have been some residual grumpy pecking between all hens for another week or so, but all completely benign in the end.
I love my new and happy flock of 5!
Day 1- Ghost is in her isolated space with chicken wire, before the first fight and cardboard barrier was put up.
Day 9- She escaped to roost on the corner of the wood.
Day 11- Co-mingling together in the run (original 4 remained wary and ready to run, but did get close to Ghost)
Day 17- Aggression issue resolved, all 5 mingling without issue
