Question!!

[albird101]

I'm super excited tomarrow is the day I will get standard chickens (game mixes)!! I still love my bantams but due to these predators I need bigger stronger chickens! But, I had a few questions usually when I get new hens I let them settle the pecking order by letting them fight unless it gets a bit to ruff I separate them, usually by the first day they pretty much settled everything and go in the coop and wake up just fine but, this time it's going to be different I'm getting a standard rooster! And since roosters have spurs and cause more damage then hens can do! I'm not going to let the roos fight it out I was think if I let them see Eachother through the chicken run and let them fight between chicken wire for I dunno maybe a week will they accept Eachother? Or will they keep trying to fight? I have a acre of land so if one decides to run they have alot of land! What's the best way to get them use to Eachother? I know they'll have fights here and there but I'm going to be watching them every chance I get and they won't sleep into the same coop till I feel completely safe that they'll be fine! I know they have to get along sometime because my friend has 5 roosters!! And they fought a lot the first week but then settled everything out! Any opinions or advice? Thanks!!

 

[gander007]

Sounds to me like you are doing it correctly

Good luck in your poultry ventures

 

[drumstick diva]

 

[TwoCrows]

It is always advised to integrate new birds slowly from behind a fence or cage within the flock for a few weeks so everybody sees and nobody touches. That way when mixing day comes, much of the pecking order has been worked out. It is never good to just throw new birds into a flock to work this order out. There can be much blood and even death. Flocks don't take kindly to new birds and will enforce an order, even if that means death. So do it slowly.

As for adding roosters, I would do just as I suggested above here and keep the new bird within the flock but separated by a fence or cage. Leave him this way for a few weeks. Some roosters are ok with more roosters added, some are not. This may or may not work out. But do it slowly and when you do go to mix the new rooster in, watch them all for a week or so to make sure nobody gets injured. And ALWAYS intervene if it turns bloody. Letting birds work out the pecking order to quickly can sometimes end in death.

Good luck with your flock and welcome to BYC!

 

[sourland]

Quarantine first then integrate. The roosters are going to fight regardless of what you try - it's just the nature of the beast. Fence fighting will only increase their competitive spirit. If you are indeed dealing with a game cross rooster, it may be a fight to the death. Again, it's what they are bred to do.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello an Welcome To BYC! You've gotten some good advice above about introducing your new chickens, there is also a nice article in the Learning Center regarding quarantine and bringing in new birds https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock X3 you do need to be prepared if the roosters never get along, especially with game birds it is a real possibility.