New Chickens Integration Advice?

[Allie Grace Sanders]

Hello, everybody! So, I'm getting new chicks coming in late Feb. I know my signature says "March", but I moved the date up. If you read my signature, it explains all of the breeds I will be getting. But now, I will do the amounts. 3 Welsummer, 2 Buff Orpington, 4 Barred Rock, 2 White Leghorn, 2 Golden Laced Wyandotte, 3 Americana, and 2 Sapphire Gem. I will be adding these breeds to an existing flock of: 8 ISA Brown hens and 1 HUGE Buff Orpington roo. We are getting a new, good sized building, so I will have to move the ISA Browns there first. The babies will leave their brooder at six weeks. What is the best way to integrate them to my girls and roo? I've heard that ISA's act like this to newcomers , but I need them to act like this. Also, I've heard that the hatchery I'm getting my chicks from, (Hoover's) sends "surprise" roos. How should I integrate them to my VERY nice BO roo (if I get them)? Thanks in advance!


-Allie

 

[Mrs. K]

A couple of ideas that have worked well for me:

Keep the chicks where the hens can see them as soon as possible, well before 6 weeks. That is way too long in the brooder. After a week, set up a one way gate, where the chicks can go in and out, but the hens can't follow them. I used a lattice panel at 3 weeks and they were out with the big girls in a week.

Also, I think I would wait to move the big girls until they had been exposed to the chicks for a while, and then do everything at once. Chickens hate change, so doing it all at once gets it over with. Adding the chicks to the new place or even a few days before, so that they can find the safe zone, (chase them yourself a little) then adding the older birds. The older birds will be feeling a little strange in the new territory, not so territorial as when you let them get established, and then add stranger chicks to them.

Good luck, if you have space, hide outs, multiple feeders, some feeders out of sight of other feeders, roosts, and pallets in the run really it generally goes pretty well in a few days.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

new, good sized building

How big, in feet by feet, is 'good sized'?
When will the building be ready for birds?
Does/will it have power?

Mrs. K has some good points...especially putting the chicks in there first.....or all the birds at the same time to avoid the territoriality issues.
All birds do this when their territory is 'invaded' by new birds.

Depending on your coop size and configuration, I'd strongly suggest you set it up with a segregation area by accommodating a temporary wall installation.
This is how I integrate my new chicks with the flock.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/
This is a safer heat source for chick, in the house or the coop:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate.67729/

Here's some integration tips, sorry if you've seen them before.
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.

This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[Cacique500]

Good advice above. Pics below are what I did. One "fail" I had was somebody forgot that chickens dig...lol. Next time I'll secure the bottom better so they can't get out!

And this is why it failed (initially)...I got very lucky that I just happened to be watching the cameras when this happened before Ms. Peggy noticed the little ones on "her" side.

 

[aart]

And this is why it failed (initially)...I got very lucky that I just happened to be watching the cameras when this happened before Ms. Peggy noticed the little ones on "her" side.

Ha!! That's why I had to put a hard wall at the bottom of my temporary wall,
well and also to mount the 'tiny doors'.
Tho that situation might be a good 'tiny door' for chick escape,
unless the older bird(s) were really determined to get under the barrier.

 

[Cacique500]

Ha!! That's why I had to put a hard wall at the bottom of my temporary wall,
well and also to mount the 'tiny doors'.
Tho that situation might be a good 'tiny door' for chick escape,
unless the older bird(s) were really determined to get under the barrier.

Exactly...Ms. Peggy was digging on her side (the big hole) and amazingly the little ones were digging on their side. Multiple strategically placed bricks solved the issue before the little ones became her lunch. Next time there's going to be a hard barrier around the entire bottom!

 

[aart]

Exactly...Ms. Peggy was digging on her side (the big hole) and amazingly the little ones were digging on their side. Multiple strategically placed bricks solved the issue before the little ones became her lunch. Next time there's going to be a hard barrier around the entire bottom!

Or let them meet and see how it goes.....Ms. Peggy is the only adult bird?

 

[Cacique500]

Yes, she was the last standing of the old flock...I'm pretty sure the meeting was not going to be friendly so I made real sure to keep them separated for a long time.