New hens into establishing flock

[Boris27]

Hi all, we've got 6 mixed breed pol pullets nearly 4 weeks ago. They have only been out to free range twice and mixed with our ducks in that time. (We'll be doing that more now we've secured everything.)

We would like to add 6 more hens from a different reputable beeder. Could this intro be done in the free range area, given it's not hugely familiar to them? Or do we have to go through a visual in coop intro first and over what period? I want them to be safe, but also not over complicate. I'm not sure how practical a night intro will be for us currently.

Also, if hens were added who were very familiar from 4 weeks previously (the same breeder that the first came from), would they remember or gentle need re-intro?


Many thanks!


Existing breeds:
Amber star
Rhode rock
Goldline
Bluebell
Collumbian blacktail
Light sussex

Possible new breeds to add:
Leghorn
Araucana
Cream legbar
Wheaten maran
*Maybe* another Amber star
*Maybe* another Rhode rock
*Maybe* one or two Pekin Bantam that are already well mixed with the above, but NOT the existing flock

 

[DobieLover]

Hi all, we've got 6 mixed breed pol pullets nearly 4 weeks ago. They have only been out to free range twice and mixed with our ducks in that time. (We'll be doing that more now we've secured everything.)

We would like to add 6 more hens from a different reputable beeder. Could this intro be done in the free range area, given it's not hugely familiar to them? Or do we have to go through a visual in coop intro first and over what period? I want them to be safe, but also not over complicate. I'm not sure how practical a night intro will be for us currently.

Also, if hens were added who were very familiar from 4 weeks previously (the same breeder that the first came from), would they remember or gentle need re-intro?


Many thanks!


Existing breeds:
Amber star
Rhode rock
Goldline
Bluebell
Collumbian blacktail
Light sussex

Possible new breeds to add:
Leghorn
Araucana
Cream legbar
Wheaten maran
*Maybe* another Amber star
*Maybe* another Rhode rock
*Maybe* one or two Pekin Bantam that are already well mixed with the above, but NOT the existing flock

If you want to avoid a 30-day quarantine, which you should do if you get birds from a different breeder, get more birds from the original breeder. Regardless if these birds knew each other at the breeder, they have formed new sub flocks and will need to be reintroduced with a 'look don't touch' setup. You can do that by penning separate areas in your run. You still need to have a secure place for them at night. Tossing birds together in the coop at night rarely works with everybody waking up thinking, "Oh gosh there's a new flock member here! How great!"
I would keep them penned separately for about a week so they can get used to each other through the fence. On the day you want them to start co-mingling let the new birds out of the pen to free range first for about an hour and then let your original flock out with them.

 

[aart]

Could this intro be done in the free range area, given it's not hugely familiar to them?

The territory belongs to the existing birds, they will not like the new 'intruders'.
Plus you have to 'home' the new birds to the new place, best done confined to a coop and run, before free ranging them or they might just take off.


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

 

[Ridgerunner]

How old are those six more hens? How big is that free range area? Since you've secured it then it may have limits. Where do you want them to sleep?

Dad had a totally free range flock. No fences, no limits. They had several acres to spread out but most stayed reasonably close to the hen house, probably in an 3 acre area. Most slept in the hen house but several also slept in trees. When he integrated new chickens (usually 3 week old chicks in the heat of summer so weather wasn't an issue) he took them to just outside the hen house and turned them loose. No "see but don't touch". No homing them to any place to sleep. No special feeding, they fed themselves by foraging just like the adults. They were left totally on their own with a free ranging flock of one rooster and maybe 25 hens. Integration was that simple and predator pressure was that light.

I don't have that situation. I want mine locked up safely at night against predators and in an area protected by electric netting during the day. I operate a closed flock. I either hatch the new chicks myself or get chicks from a reputable hatchery so I'm not worried about quarantine. My brooder is in the coop and my broody hens raise the chicks with the flock so in either case the chicks grow up with the flock and they grow up sleeping inside a coop or shelter. My set-up and management techniques are totally different from Dad's. My goals are different too.

I don't know what your facilities look like. I'm not sure of your goals. I assume the new ones will be old enough that weather isn't an issue. I don't know how you feel about quarantine, some people are a lot more relaxed about it than others. I assume you want to be able to lock them up at night against predators. I don't know if you have trees they could sleep in.

I'd suggest training them to sleep in the building where you want them to sleep before you let them free range. I don't know what that training would look like, that depends on what your facilities look like and how hard you want to work. Hopefully that can be in a "see but don't touch" situation, I think that can help a lot with integration.

Sometimes integration can be as simple as putting them together. Sometimes chicks or chickens die that way. If you try the "lock them in there at night so they wake up together as best friends" I'd be down there at daybreak just as they are waking up to see how it was going. Sometimes that does work, it can be that easy. Just putting them together in the morning outside can work. But occasionally chicks or chickens die. They can die if you go through all the stuff that we often suggest. There is no absolute risk free way that always works. There are ways to reduce that risk, sometimes those are overkill. Sometimes you don't need to do them but you don't know that unless you try and it works.

My main suggestion is to try to do this when you can be around to observe and base your actions on what you see.