new chicken

[Rebeccahorse]

I traded my Isa Brown rooster for a hen of the same. When I brought her home and put her in the cage the others, one in particular, started to peck and attack her. They are all the same breed. I have her in a seperate cage right now. I need a way to put her in with the rest of them without her getting hurt. Any ideas? Do they go by scent or sight? Could I rub something on their noses to get them to accept her?

 

[chickenwoods]

Is she of the same age as the rest?

 

[Rebeccahorse]

the lady who I traded with said they are 10 weeks and mine are two different ages some I picked up on May 2 as chicks and the other two I got from my brother are 2 weeks older. So they are all around the same age. (give or take a few weeks)

 

[hisbride]

I find it hard to introduce a new bird. We are putting the newest member to out flock in a cage and setting nearby so that thay can see/smell

him. Eventually we'll try putting another bird in the cage, one of the milder one, and maybe they will make friends

 

[silkiechicken]

Pop her in at night or try to keep her in sight of the others for a few days. There will be pecking at each other but they will have to settle their own order on their own terms. Just make sure no blood is drawn.

 

[chickenwoods]

I found it almost impossible to introduce my 3 month olds to my 5 month olds.I put one in not expecting much of a fight and i watched closely they just about killed her..they pecked her comb really bad and thier was a peice of flesh on one of my 5 month olds beak

So i have plans to rotate my hens during stages in thier life,since i am going to soon be raising 40+ birds or more.This has worked well so far..

At 0-4wks(until feathering gets going good) raise them in a small brooder low roof,95deg,or so.moving heat lamp to reduce temp 5 deg,each week( in barn ,but chicks cannot see out)

At 5-12 wks in a larger brooder 3 ft tall or so so they can have a place to fly up to roost.Windows so they can see out(i put this inside the barn also, so they can watch the older hens)

At 13-18 weeks in a chicken tracter/coop(homemade rig,outside barn for one i needed more room inside barn,for two they can still see the older hens when the older hens go out to range)

Then 19-on up,Let them free range all day, and lock em up in the barn at night.

This way all my birds get to see each other but not hurt each other till thier old enough to stick up for themselves.

That is what i do,so far it has worked excellent.

 

[rosyposyosy]

i read somewhere if you put them all in a new location at the same time they are all kind of confused and the pecking order starts again - but everything is new so it is ok for a new hen. we're moving, so ill put my cuckoo maran in with the flock when we move

 

[Bubba]

Rosyposyosy said it right. It applies to all animals not just birds. Ive used it on dogs, cats, birds, fish and reptiles.

Rebecca you could take out the problem bird and let the others get used to the new one. Then put them all together in a neutral area to see what happens.

Bubba

 

[rooster-red]

What works for me is to bring the new one into the pen in a wire mesh cage and leave it for a couple of hours.

Then I let the new bird out and watch them for about an hour.

So far this has worked out very well.