Need help integrating a chick with a solitary pullet.

[Docdetective]

I’m getting a new chicken tormorrow as a companion for my one rescue pullet. The pullet I have now, Flynn, is 5 months old but pretty small for her age. She is an Americana mix. She has a cross beak, so she is somewhat disabled on that end. She seems pretty aggressive, she runs at the cat and blue jays.

The chick I’m getting is a three month old Americana pullet.

I’m having some last minute panics.
1st, I’m worried that the younger pullet will be stressed and scared away from her hatchmates. She’ll be in a new place with a strange and potentially aggressive chicken.

2nd, I only have two sunny days before it starts raining again.It isn’t possible for them to be separated under the same roof. The younger one would have to be in a separate shelter. Will two days be enough time for them to get used to each other to the point they will be able to be in the same shelter?

3rd, if we do put them together after the two days of them seeing each other through the fence, and they start fighting, when should I break it up? I know they have to establish the pecking order but at what point do I need to separate them if they are really fighting and how do I know if one is trying to seriously hurt the other?

4th, if they aren’t getting along by the time it starts raining again, the new chick will go in a cage in a shed where she can have shelter. Will she be too lonely and get sick or depressed from loneliness?

I’m sure I’ll have more concerns as these are addressed. Thanks in advance!

** edit, already thought of no. 5

5th, if they do get along well from the beginning, is there a possibility they will fight later?

 

[aart]

Will two days be enough time for them to get used to each other to the point they will be able to be in the same shelter?

Absolutely not....well, maybe 1% chance.

Can you put them both in the shed, separated by wire?

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.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Docdetective]

Ok, that’s what I thought. Our run is pretty small, it’s bigger then a prefab coop but small compared to some. We only have one “warm” shelter, and I don’t know what I can use for the other, the only thing I have on hand is a large dog kennel, but that wouldn’t be very warm. I suppose the shed would work if I cleaned the junk out and separated it with wire, it’s long and narrow so it would be kind of weird but in an emergency it would work. If it’s raining then they wouldn’t want to be outside anyway. I’ll work on putting stuff in the run and I’ll have two foods and waters.

 

[Mrs. K]

One bird on one bird is not going to be real bad. They are going to dust up, flare, and flounce around but it should be pretty even, and settled pretty quickly.

What I would suggest is early in the day put your current bird in the dog crate. Let the new one into coop/run. This allows this bird to find the hideouts, find feed bowls, explore and get comfortable in a new place with out being chased for their lives.

If you can set it up, so that you can feed them along the fence, that can help too. I would do it for a day or two, then turn them together just shortly before dark maybe on day 2 or 3.

Mrs K

 

[Docdetective]

Update: the chick is home. We set up a temporary pen next to the current run and put the feeders and waters on either side of the fence. Chick settled in nicely, we let the pullet out of her run to free range and she checked out the chick through the fence. At first she had her feathers raised but lowered them after a few minutes. She did stick her head through the fence and peck the chick, but the chick just stood there and moved away after the pullet stopped pecking. Both the pullet and chick were scratching, grooming and eating their food, but the pullet would go back every so often to peck at the pullet again. This was only for about an hour and a half before it got dark. Then the pullet went into her house and the chick went into the cage inside the shed. The chick didn’t want to be alone but I didn’t feel comfortable putting them together yet.

 

[Docdetective]

Update 2:
I guess somehow I lucked out and got the 1% chance. Put them in together the morning and didn’t have any problems! The pullet did peck at the younger one a bit but other than that it was fine. Both enjoyed a sun bath too.