Would like to add new adult chickens to my flock of juveniles???

[mdmcfadden]

I found 3 laying hens and a roo in need of a home, however the flock I have of 17 are all young birds, about 13 weeks or so of age. The 4 that I would like to introduce are all a year and a half old. I don't even know where to begin with introducing them or don't know if it would even be wise to do so... Can someone please help?

 

[LadyinRed]

First make sure you have a place to quarantine them to make sure they don't bring any illness with them as birds are masters of hiding such, In that time its also wise to check for external parasites also. Recommended quarantine periods are about a 30 days so that will give your youngsters even more time to mature. You can try letting them see each other through a divider or put the new chickens in a dog crate for a few days before officially letting them loose with the rest and putting the new ones on the roosts at night with the others is something I've heard of being done.

 

[gryeyes]

Yes, do quarantine 'em. But how nifty to get the chance to add layers to your flock!! They'll kind of help teach the youngsters when their times come. (As in where eggs are laid, in nest boxes, not on the ground in the run, etc.)

After quarantine well away from the rest of your flock, and if nothing crops up, then you put them in a separate something, smaller coop, a dog house, or something, and put up a temporary - chickenwire works for this - fence IN the run, separating the ladies from the girls. For about a week, maybe two. This gives them the chance to see & hear each other, maybe meet and chest bump, peck without causing injury, through that fence. When you remove the fence, and they all mingle, there will be less nastiness. "Oh, it's just you, not some strangers."

It does involve having alternate lodging for them in the interim. But it's so worth it!

Good luck!