The escaped chicken integration

[J99]

Ok that chicken I got from the chicken truck has been in her own cage for awhile now she perked up looks healthy and did great . Now I’m integrating her into the flock but I have chickens lower on the pecking order and she’s a fighting breed so she may hurt my polish . Or my thirty chickens could attack and hurt her so I have her where they can see eachother right now and plan to try in little periods to let her out then put her back etc but how long should I leave her there before trying them together
I’m nervous
My chickens are about 20 weeks and my rooster or cockerel is about 6 months old
This new chicken idk
I’d guess about 15 weeks or so but I have no idea

 

[Mrs. K]

Do not do the 30 on one. Instead add one bird to her. They may duke it out, but it is one on one. Pick a middle of the flock to add to her, have some hideouts, two feed bowls, but stick to your guns, and leave them until they get it sorted, and they are a pair, at least a week. If you can do this in sight of the other girls, so much the better.

Next add a pair from the original flock to the first pair. Again, they may be a ruckus, but it should be short-lived. Keep them together at least a week.

Now add the foursome back to the flock. If they have been in view, of each other, this should not cause too much problems, a few skirmishes. At this point there might be one or two hens in the original flock that just are mean. Catch them, put them where the foursome was.

Leave them there for a week. Then add them back into the group and it should be pretty done.

Adding a single bird can be done, but it is tricky. One of the problems people do, is put a strange bird into a strange set up, where the new bird does not know the hideouts, or ways to get away from the others. I often recommend, locking the original birds out of the set up, with the new bird locked in the set up, so she can explore, find the various hide outs, and feed bowls without being chased for her life. Then letting in the flock close to dark.

Mrs K

 

[boskelli1571]

Plan for a longish integration. I would follow the see no touch plan for at least 2 weeks, then perhaps release her in an area where you can closely monitor behaviors.
She may be a fighting breed but 30:1 odds aren't in her favor and it's rough integrating one bird.
When you are monitoring behaviors, remember to try and cut her some slack, any aggressors need to be put in 'time out' cages.
Under the 'managing your flock' forum there are a few ideas on how to proceed, try reading through that for some ideas too. Good luck!

 

[Mrs. K]

Ok, I was looking at this as 30 chickens, all the same size or close to the same size. How many polish do you have? I saw this as adding one bird to thirty and if even if she is a fighting bird, that is a lot of birds against her. By breaking up the flock and putting groups together, I was looking at it from the point of view of getting a single bird into an established flock.

Could you sell the new bird as a point of lay bird? That might be the best option. The thing is I don't have experience with polish birds, but I have read that many flocks won't work with standard sized birds and polish birds. So if you have that working out, you might not want to rock the boat.

If the new bird is a little feisty, she is going to be looking for battles she can win, and the polish are going to be her first choice. I don't think she is going to get a first choice with 30 against her, but as Ridgerunner is fond of saying, you really cannot predict how animals will really act.

You might want to let this single bird go to someone else. My standard advice is: Always solve for the peace of the flock.

Mrs K

 

[J99]

Well you think that but my flock consists of very low men on the totem pole breeds and she’s high on the pecking order and she’s not scarred of anything, not even people
I have a wyondotte pullet and Cockerel that I believe will put her under , other then that I think she’ll top the rest of them
We are doing a slow little by little watchful integration.
I don’t feel bad about her being penned because she came off a crammed horrible truck and was in a busy street then we rescued her and now she’s in a pen it’s still an improvement

 

[J99]

Yes but I have to allow the pecking order to establish that’s where it becomes iffy

 

[J99]

I may have to do this and it sounds really smart ,lengthy , but smart
I’m not fond of it tho my birds have been in a routine of where they go when their whole life I hate to just pick one to isolate with a new bird then pick out two more
Idk I’ll see

 

[J99]

Be sure the new cycen is capable of Living. The industrial birds are often scandalously over bread and will die.

yes She was bred for a big meat bird and can die later of a heart attack because they’re usually killed at 8 weeks and they want a lot of meat so they are bred and fed to get large . I’m aware this may be a factor, I’m feeding her good food and more vegetables, les scratch etc and I’ll just keep her happy and safe until that happens
Unless she hurts or kills my flock then she’s gone
But she’s not afraid of people she comes right to me she’s ready to get out

 

[Mrs. K]

Adding a rooster is an easy integration. I have never had a problem adding a rooster. It is the easiest single bird integration you can do. I am always amazed when people report on here that they had trouble.

But a single hen is a different game. If you have a lot of space, it might not be much of a deal, but I would expect a single stranger to take a lot of abuse.

Mrs K

 

[Mrs. K]

but you can to the new chicken? Good luck. If it really throws a commotion, it might be better to sell her. Always solve for peace in the flock.