Please help

[roxy2007]

Hi BYC people I have hens that are 1 yr old. I'm getting two more hens tomorrow and I just wanted to know how to introduce them to my flock. I was going to put all the chickens outside on the grass altogether but I'm scared of what will happen. Should I put up a guard rail from mine to the other two? We have no clue if these chickens have any diseases or mites/lice. I forgot to mention that these other chickens are said to be a year old too. Please help I'm picking up these chickens tomorrow at 11:30am. Thanks guys

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

You can put them all together and see the reactions. Sometimes hens will be aggressive, sometimes a bit of pecking will happen but they don't care. If you toss food on the ground for them to be distracted with that will help.

You can also put the new hens in a dog kennel, and when the old hens don't care about them any more, set them out

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

The proper way to mix new birds into a flock is to do it slowly. You can't just throw new birds into a flock as all chaos will break out. There is a pecking order and each bird knows their place within it.

The easiest way to do it is to cage or fence off the new birds but keep them within the flock at all times. Everybody sees, nobody touches. Leave them all this way for several weeks. This gives the birds time to work out some of the pecking order from behind wire.

In about 3 weeks you can mix the birds. The flock should mix fairly well without too much aggression. Watch them closely that day and the rest of that week. And always intervene should it turn bloody.

Here is an article from our learning center on how to add birds to your flock...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

Great to have you aboard and welcome to our flock!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X2 what TwoCrows said about actually mixing the birds. Since you don't know if these birds have anything that might make your sick you probably want to do a health quarantine for at least a couple of weeks at the start also like the article covered.

 

[roxy2007]

Ok thanks guys I guess I'll have to buy some wire or something to seperate them and we are going to pick them up soon and I'm praying that they are healthy and my flock won't make it a bloody mess

 

[sourland]

Good advice from TwoCrows and Kelsie. Optimally the new birds should be quarantined a distance away from your present flock.

 

[roxy2007]

Ok they are in a small cage inside my coop while the others are free inside is that ok?

 

[drumstick diva]

Won't your others go into the cope to roost at night? There goes quarantine.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Quarantine means nowhere near your existing birds. If they can sneeze or breath on your birds then they are too close. At least 4 weeks is the recommendation .
You will kick yourself if they bring in coryza or MG . Better to be safe than sorry. And when you are quite certain that it is safe to introduce the new birds to your flock , do so ' gently gently ' , there are flock dynamics to consider.