Need advice on introducing new birds

BrushyHillGuide

Chirping
Oct 17, 2015
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2
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I've got 4 hens and a rooster that have been with us since we started keeping chickens, about 4.5 years ago. We were gifted 3 bantam Cochin (I think) hens and 1 rooster that we got as chicks. The new birds are about 3 months old now and I'd really like to put them into the main coop because their temporary coop is getting too small for them. My biggest concern is our old rooster - he's a Rhode Island Red and not always a very nice bird. I'm worried he may bully the young birds too much. Would I be better off getting rid of the older rooster and letting the young one fill the role? Or am I worrying to much?

Our old hens are hardly producing any more and I need some more birds to keep us in eggs - we used to have MORE than enough from our 4 girls. Unfortunately they're now just pets who don't really produce; but my wife just can't bear to put them in a pot. Besides, they'd probably be some tough old birds. LOL! I could sure use some advise! I'd like to get some more chicks, so this is something I'm going to have to learn about.

Thanks to all that reply!
 
There are lots of good threads on starting with a 'see but can't touch' approach, through a fence and so on. At 3 months, the young rooster might still be young enough that he won't stupidly challenge your older rooster- it's hard to say until they actually meet. Usually the younger the new roo is at introduction, the better it seems to go because he's not seen as any kind of threat to the old roo. That's my experience anyway. I let my older hens live out their lives too - some use them for chicken stock/soup and swear the older hens make the best stock - I'll never know myself. =) If one of those Cochins will go broody for you when she reaches maturity, then you'll have it made- you can easily give her chicks and she'll do all the integration with the flock work for you. =)
 
My biggest concern is our old rooster
The old hens probably won't be very happy either.

You've been ridin' the Romance for 4 years, now comes a shot of Reality.
Integrating new birds into your flock is another learning curve.
What to do with the old ones is a hard decision.
You might need to learn to slaughter...or build a 'retirement' coop.
I hatch new layer chicks every year, and slaughter the cockerels and older hens due to winter space limitations. Old hens are in fact edible, especially if you like schmaltz, has more to do with resting the cleaned carcass than how you cook them.

Whether to keep the old or young cock/erel may be a hard choice too.
Ask yourself, why do I need a male bird at all?
I keep one for fertile eggs to hatch out those replacement layers,
but would never try to keep two.

I like to integrate new chicks when very young, but you need to have a good setup:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

Many ways to integrate, but here are some tips about...
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better.
Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
 
Thanks so much for the advice! I can build the coachins a enclosure within the coop. And I’ll see how that goes before allowing them to mix fully. I don’t have any problem killing birds (I’m a professional hunter/outfitter/hunting guide) but if I don’t think they’ll taste good, I see no purpose in killing them. If I can’t integrate them all, then I’ll end up fi ding out how they taste. Lol

Thanks again!
 
but if I don’t think they’ll taste good, I see no purpose in killing them. If I can’t integrate them all, then I’ll end up fi ding out how they taste.
They'll taste great....as soup or stew! Especially if you rest the cleaned carcasses properly...4-5 days for birds that old.
Will be curious as to how you find the slaughtering process,
have read of several hunters that had trouble killing with a knife instead of a gun.
 

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