What’s the best way to introduce new chickens to your flock?

Aug 15, 2018
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Up North ;)
So I have 3 Brahma bantams that I need to move into my coop of 7 Brahma bantams that are about 9 months old. They were in the coop for 2 days and I didn’t know if they had been eating or drinking so I moved them back to the garage for the night. Is there some genius way to move them in? Thanks!
 
I would put them in on the roost at night, while the others are sleeping.
Monitor them the next day.
If they are significantly smaller than the others, you can create a creep area for the new ones to access for food and water without competition.
 
The info below may be helpful:


Quote from @aart
Integration Basics:

“It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).

Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.

Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.


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.


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


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 copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, 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'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.”

These links are worth looking at:

Flock integration
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/topic-of-the-week-adding-new-chickens-to-the-flock.1164542/



Adults to adults
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-see-but-don-t-touch-method

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1098683/introducing-new-chickens-to-old-flock#post_16895615


Intro chicks to adults
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-see-but-don-t-touch-method

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1126547/topic-of-the-week-integrating-chicks-into-an-adult-flock

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1069595/introducing-chicks-to-adults#post_16276224

Good luck
 
Thank you. So they have had trouble eating/drinking with the other birds that’s why I moved them back into the garage for the night to make sure they were getting food/water. Occasionally the bigger birds will pin them down in the corner and peck at them so I will go in and push them off.
 
I do not know about Bantams I have Wyandottes and Barred Rocks. When my chicks are 4 months old out of the tractor pen and into the yard with the grown birds. The only thing I have to do for a couple of nights is catch the little ones and put them in the coup, but they just go thru the pecking order for a day or two, and then all is well.
 

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