Adding New Chickens

[Chicken drumstick]

Hi all

How bad is it really ?

Lots of info on the internet from a few incidents to all out war ?

Any info on how you got on would be greatful

 

[chrismahon]

Hello Chicken Drumstick and welcome to the forum. As Icemaiden says in your intro post. Basically keep them separate but alongside for a few weeks and then add them at night to the coop. We have also sprayed with lavender. Problems start when the available area is effectively reduced for each existing bird. So if possible the run size should be increased when the newbies are introduced and the best way to do that without building a new run is to divide the existing run well before the new birds arrive and remove the divider after two weeks when the new birds go into the coop. Yes they will fight to establish a new pecking order so you need to be there. If it is too bad the intro process needs repeating, but it helps if the problem areas are removed, so have two feeders and drinkers for a while.

 

[BabyBantam]

Also a good idea to introduce them at the weekend so you can keep an eye on them for a couple of days. At least this way you'll be there to rescue the hen.

 

[Bickerton]

I've managed to settle mine I n alot easier than expected thus far. I bought them last Tuesday, I split the coup in 2 with mesh so all in together but not able to get to each other. I then kept new ones in secure run and old ones in outer run. Then when I was home I free ranged the old ones and put new ones in outer run, then scattered corn on both sides of fence to get them close.

This week I have put them all in together 3 food and water stations and a hell of a lot of scratch all over the run . seems to be working OK,have made the coop one room now, they keep to their own ends currently but it's all alot better than I'd thought it was gonna be. I added 4 to 4

 

[Marigold]

This is a good time of year o try introductions as the hens are calmer and less territorial than in the breeding season.

 

[Chicken drumstick]

Thanks for the replies , and to the lady who replied on my intro post .

I can separate the run no problem , but what about when they roam back into the hen house in the day ?

I dont shut them out i just leave the pop hole open so they can get in and out when they want to , the run is covered .

I guess i need to divide this aswell (its around 7 x 4 ) a converted shed with 5 in there so plenty of space , would i still need to divide the hen house at night or should i remove the divider when they go to bed , i would also need to make another pop hole if it was divided

 

[dinosaw]

Can only echo the above, multiple feeders and drinkers so the original chickens can't picket them and starve the new ones and as much space as you can allow them to escape from attacks even if it means temporarily letting them into areas you normally wouldn't, also let them get on with it as much as possible, if there is no blood then don't intervene it only drags things out and seems to have the effect of annoying the dominant birds even more and making them more aggressive when they get the chance, the longer they have known each other prior to merging them the easier it will go. If you have just got the new birds then go ahead and divide the shed, otherwise your defeating the purpose of dividing them during the day as the original birds will be up and at em as soon as it is light and the new ones will have nowhere to run to.

 

[Bickerton]

I banished my original ones from the house during the day, they had to settle for a patch under the bushes that they weren't bothered about laying in the past, seemed to work fine, was dry there too.

 

[Icemaiden]

I divided the run into two, with the coop in one half (for the old girls) and the greenhouse in the other half. I put a large box in the greenhouse with some aubiose in it, for the new girls to roost in for the first 2 - 3 weeks but they had other ideas, and happily roosted each night on a shelf, where they were higher up. I left them to it...