What to add

[ange]

We ARE wanting to add l white chicke to our flock of 3 rhode island red and l welsummer. I would like more but my husband wants to add pigeons also to them, and we do not want to over crowd them. Is it ok, to add just l white chicken, will it be safe? I added 2 zebras to my flock, watched them well, all was ok, but at night when I went to checxk again, the rirr crippled one, small one, was dead. I sumarized it was the new zebra, one of them, since it never happened before I added them, so now I AM AFRAID TO ADD ANY. What are yourn thoughts?

 

[chocolate m'scovy]

You could try adding it at night.

 

[ella]

You tried adding zebra finches? Any bird that is much smaller may be killed by adult chickens. They will naturally eat small birds, mice, lizards or whatever, so it's never a good idea to house them together. I don't know if pigeons would even be safe. You could ask around. You can't add baby chicks to an adult flock for the same reason, they will kill and possibly eat an unprotected chick.

It's much better to add a group of at least two to a flock, because it's so much harder for a single chicken to integrate. It can help if you have a rooster looking out for the flock, he will break up fights and protect hens. But if he sees the newcomer as a threat he may help gang up and kill her. It's going to depend on how much space your flock has and how aggressive they are. Some will take in new members will almost no trouble at all, others will give any new chickens a really hard time.

Some keys:

Make sure the newcomer is an adult around the same size as your current chickens

Make sure there are lots of food and water stations so they'll be less competion for food

Make sure there are places where the newcomer can get away if they're being bullied

Introducing them at night may work better (or they might just get the fighting over with before you check on them)

I hope it works out for you.

 

[ange]

Thanks they were the same size and age. I could have had more food stations. It sewemed to be at night when they were ready to go to bed, because I FOUND HER IN THE SLLEPING part of the coop with the rest. Could it be that it was because the killed one was crippled and the runt of the liter?