New to BYC!!!

[831chickens]

We just joined and are happy chickens keepers for 1 year now!! We have one established flock and 16 new 8 week old ladies soon to go outside to their coop!! Any suggestions on introducing the new ladies to a 1 year old rooster? Thanks!!

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Hi and

from Colorado! Try to gradually introduce them, like putting them in something where they can see but not touch each other.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Ya try that, But you kind of just have to let them do there own thing, I mean there is no real way to get them to get along with each other!!
Hope that Helps!!
And Welcome to BYC!!!

 

[831chickens]

Thanks for the reply!! So sorry to hear about the bear...we live in the backwoods here in Mass and we have always had a concern on if the coops are fortified enough!

 

[831chickens]

Thanks for all the help!!

 

[Mac14]

Welcome! Many people do the 'look but can't touch" thing. Also remember that if there is pecking and stuff when you do put them together, that they are just establishing a new pecking order. Hope all goes well!

 

[Dragonsfly2]

We had luck with the 'deliver under cover of darkness' technique.
We basically brought in the new birds (once we'd made sure of health checks and mite issues etc) and delivered them to the coop at night.
All the rest of the flock was sleeping or dozzy and really didn't fuss much about the newbies.
Come morning it was like "hey......where'd you guys come from??"
but by then some of the new ones were already milling about and staking claim to thier part of the 'rank and file'
We never had any calamities doing it this way, and we watched to make sure.
All was always well in the run and coop.

 

[Mac14]

We had luck with the 'deliver under cover of darkness' technique.
We basically brought in the new birds (once we'd made sure of health checks and mite issues etc) and delivered them to the coop at night.
All the rest of the flock was sleeping or dozzy and really didn't fuss much about the newbies.
Come morning it was like "hey......where'd you guys come from??"
but by then some of the new ones were already milling about and staking claim to thier part of the 'rank and file'
We never had any calamities doing it this way, and we watched to make sure.
All was always well in the run and coop.

Ya, good information!

 

[theoldchick]

I introduced Steele, a 10 month old cockerel to an established flock of 14 hens.

After quarantine I put him in the coop behind the protection of the gogo pen so the girls could see him and do their thing. Since they weren't really concerned, I allowed them to mingle under my observation after 24 hours. Since Steele is a gentle rooster there was not much of a problem. The key is to watch them when you first introduce them and make sure you have plenty of room.

 

[831chickens]

Thank ya'll for the great advice!! We love reading the info on the bottom of the posts such as how many pets etc....how do we make ours visible?