Newbie got some new babies....introducing suggestions please!

[LilyBird]

I got my very first flock of chickens at the beginning of July. I was sold 6 "pullets" 3 australorps and 3 orpingtons...but all 3 of my australorps turned out to be roos. Sooo, I took them to a poultry swap. Long story short, I came home with 3 younger birds (EE, Australorp, & Araucana)........and a free silkie hen (chicken math got me) LOL

So here's what my flock is now...

3 orpingtons - 20 weeks old
3 babies - 4-5 weeks old
1 silkie hen - no clue how old, but apparently its just starting to lay?

The orpingtons have a nice big run and coop to themselves (run is 16'x12'). The babies and silkie are in the garage under quarantine. But I'm not set up for two flocks....I just have a backyard, not acreage. Its starting to get cold at night as well, so I really need them to get into the coop with the big girls as soon as possible, and not just stuck in my garage in a dog crate. Silkie and the babies are in separate crates...not sure if the silkie and babies will get along. The crates arent all that ideal either.

How should I go about introducing the babies and silkie to my girls?

Could the silkie be introduced to the big girls on her own? Or would it be better to introduce the silkie and babies, and then introduce all four together? I did have the silkie and babies together for a little while, but she started pecking at them.

I don't want anyone picked on.

How old should the babies be before I introduce them?

How do I do this and make everyone get along and be happy? (A roo isn't going to happen, I have neighbours).

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would start by putting them in the coop in the crates, for a good week, letting them out and seeing how it goes, you might have to pen them separately for a bit, especially at night or if you can't keep an eye on them, with the hope eventually everyone will forget they weren't always together. Being able to put up temporary housing is a must for introduction, good luck.

 

[Pork Pie]

Try putting the following text in the search bar "introducing new flock members" - there are many, many threads that should help you.

CT

 

[aart]

I got my very first flock of chickens at the beginning of July. I was sold 6 "pullets" 3 australorps and 3 orpingtons...but all 3 of my australorps turned out to be roos. Sooo, I took them to a poultry swap. Long story short, I came home with 3 younger birds (EE, Australorp, & Araucana)........and a free silkie hen (chicken math got me) LOL

So here's what my flock is now...

3 orpingtons - 20 weeks old
3 babies - 4-5 weeks old
1 silkie hen - no clue how old, but apparently its just starting to lay?

The orpingtons have a nice big run and coop to themselves (run is 16'x12'). The babies and silkie are in the garage under quarantine. But I'm not set up for two flocks....I just have a backyard, not acreage. Its starting to get cold at night as well, so I really need them to get into the coop with the big girls as soon as possible, and not just stuck in my garage in a dog crate. Silkie and the babies are in separate crates...not sure if the silkie and babies will get along. The crates arent all that ideal either.

How should I go about introducing the babies and silkie to my girls?

Could the silkie be introduced to the big girls on her own? Or would it be better to introduce the silkie and babies, and then introduce all four together? I did have the silkie and babies together for a little while, but she started pecking at them.

I don't want anyone picked on.

How old should the babies be before I introduce them?

How do I do this and make everyone get along and be happy? (A roo isn't going to happen, I have neighbours).

Yes this, better to introduce the silkie and babies, and then introduce all four together, while they are in quarantine.

How big is your coop?
Can you split off part of it with a temporary mesh wall?

 

[aart]

Here's some notes I've taken on integration that I found to be very helpful.......
......take what applies or might help and ignore the rest.
See if any of them, or the links provided at the bottom, might offer some tips that will assist you in your situation:

Integration of new chickens into flock.

Consider medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
Poultry Biosecurity
BYC 'medical quarantine' search

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. Integrating new birds of equal size works best.

For smaller chicks I used a large wire dog crate right in the coop for the smallers. I removed the crate door and put up a piece of wire fencing over the opening and bent up one corner just enough for the smallers to fit thru but the biggers could not. Feed and water inside the crate for the smallers. Make sure the smallers know how to get in and out of the crate opening before exposing them to the olders. this worked out great for me, by the time the crate was too small for the them to roost in there(about 3 weeks), they had pretty much integrated themselves to the olders.

If you have too many smallers to fit in a crate you can partition off part of the coop with a wire wall and make the same openings for smallers escape.


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 blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down, 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 and/or up and away from any bully birds.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best of mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

Another option, if possible, is to put all birds in a new coop and run, this takes the territoriality issues away.

Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[LilyBird]

Yes this, better to introduce the silkie and babies, and then introduce all four together, while they are in quarantine.

How big is your coop?
Can you split off part of it with a temporary mesh wall?

The way the coop is designed really won't allow it to be sectioned off. I could try making a spot for them in the run (the run is covered). But apart from a big plastic dog crate, I don't really have anything else for them to go in...but maybe just that would work.
Sooooo, maybe I will try to make them a little yard in another corner of my backyard with the dog crate and some leftover hardware mesh. I hope the silkie can get along with the three babies.

 

[LilyBird]

Thank you aart!!

I will definitely try to figure something out where they can be in the run with the other girls. I'm just so afraid that they will all peck at each other and I'll end up with a casualty.

 

[aart]

Buy a roll of 1x2 or 2x4 welded wire fencing, you can do a lot with that stuff if you're handy...and it always comes in handy when yo're keeping chickens.
A couple wire dog crates with smaller wire installed under tray in bottom come in real handy too.

There will always be some pecking and squabbling when integrating birds, but hopefully not too much blood.
I did an integration yesterday, they were previously housed in a coop partition with separate but within sight runs.....
.....it was still a rodeo, with a few bloodied combs and a limper yet this morning, but that part doesn't last long.