Integrating ought not happen all at once! -photo R. Caldwell
You're at your wits end with the dust and the chicks are trying to fly out of their brooder to join your family for dinner...It's time to move them outside! Now!
One thing not often considered until the moment has arrived: How will the new birds get along with an existing flock?
Sadly, the reality is that if one tosses new birds in without acclimating them correctly, the new birds can be savagely attacked- even murdered- by the beloved, sweet hens in your coop. Obviously this is not the result we all want, so in order to intentionally foster peace and harmony follow this easy guide!
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Different flocks should become familiar first -photo R Caldwell
The first and most important thing you need to do is be certain the new birds are either close to the size of the old birds or 10 weeks or more. Bantams and large fowl can be mixed accordingly, but putting immature birds in with a larger, older flock is difficult and unkind unless the older birds are gentle breeds.
It is imperative to acquaint the new birds with the old. They must get a good look at each other for a couple of days minimum before you spring them on one another's space. This is really crucial, and cutting corners will only lead to bloody warfare. Find a way to put the new birds in an appropriate amount of space adjacent to or within the habitat of the older flock. The way most will do this is to wire off a part of the coop and run or to put a large wire cage in the area the old birds occupy. The new birds need to have enough room for comfort as well as shade, food and water. Many owners will construct a pen that is used every Spring for this purpose that remains open when no newbies are being introduced. New birds should also be in the coop at night with their introductees, because upon waking, the old flock will nearly forget they don't know the new guys! You also want the new birds to know where to go to roost for the night. They need to have a home base to feel secure.
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Ample space allows attention to be diverted plus escape is possible -photo R. Caldwell
Next, when you feel that the new and old flocks have had a couple of days to absorb each other's presence, you can introduce them in a well-supervised manner. Give them ample space- if they only free-range occasionally, this is the time. The new birds need to be able to get away, while the old flock needs to have something to focus on besides the interlopers. Provide treats: yummy snacks will help everyone forget something weird is happening. Stick around! If you wander off and a ruckus starts, things can go from bad to worse without your intervention- and you don't want that. Be prepared to step in and redirect them just like toddlers. Generally things don't get terribly sketchy at this point unless they are all in close quarters and haven't anything to distract them from one another. Don't assume all is well after a half-hour of peace. This is a job that could take an afternoon. The amount of space and the time for acclimation are nearly always related, so give them as much space as you can manage and let them roam around seeing each other over the posies and dandelions.
At bedtime, the new guys will likely find the old crowd heading in and follow, nervously staying low. The big issue at hand now is who sits where to sleep. There must be 8-12 inches of roosting space per bird for reasonable accomodations. Settling-in can get brutal and is hard for a loving chicken-parent to watch. In some flocks it's nothing at all; others can take weeks to settle the pecking order. Oversee as long as you think is necessary to avert sheer violence, but know that they will settle down if given time (don't allow bloody fights, of course). If you had a hen that was obviously bottom-of-the-ladder prior to new birds, she'll likely see this as her opportunity to move up a rung or two, so don't be surprised to see her walking up and pecking newbies- this is normal. Overall, it'll take some help from you, but if acclimated to one another, they'll smooth it out sooner rather than later!
Comments
Good info, my German Shepard....who loves cats, seems to love the chickens and ducks too....and He loved 3 chickens and 1 duck to death. I really hate feeling like a bad mom, so I take your experience to Heart! oxoxoxox newbie at this chicken stuff,Linda
So if it seems like a certain chicken is having issues entering the flock should it go to chicken anger management classes?
what about if your introducing more younger birds to a few birds just a couple months older
Thank you for your help. Whoa, it seems daunting. I have that A-frame that I put out on the 1/2 acre that should get them acquainted
Scott: This still applies even if the age difference isn't very large. You'll want to get them visually acquainted prior to contact, and give them space when truly meeting. Younger birds are less territorial and less likely to try to dominate new birds, thankfully.
Chickens can be very vicious to each other; they will peck the toes off of the bottom bird in the hierarchy if it can't escape.
Take this seriously because otherwise you can wind up with dead or mutilated birds. My parents preferred to buy chickens that had been "debeaked" - what this means is that the sharp tip of the beak has been clipped so they can't kill each other; we used to get cheap Leghorn cockerels and raise them for broilers and fryers - dinner in fifteen weeks or less and they fed themselves off snails, slugs, insects, and other chicken delicacies in the backyard.
It's weird to see yard poultry becoming fashionable; for decades the push was to make raising chickens, ducks, and geese in the backyard illegal. Score one for us rednecks. B^)
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