Posted: 8/25/2012 8:32:33 AM EDT
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I have raised laying hens and a couple of roosters for 8 years. They have produced well but my small flock is down to 5 hens and a rooster. I want to get another dozen hen chicks but am concerned about introducing them into the flock. I really don't want to get rid of the old hens. And I don't want to build all new housing for a separate flock.
Anybody ever introduce young hens to an existing flock? Advice appreciated. |
| Check out the forums at http://www.backyardchickens.com/ There's a lot of questions and answers about introducing new hens into a flock. |
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We do it pretty much every year, rotating in new stock and culling those that don't produce. There will be some scuffles as they work things out - "pecking order" is more than just a figure of speech - but eventually everybody finds their niche in the social order. We do have a couple of outside pens that are used to house the young ones separately until they are big enough to hold their own with the rest of the flock, and since our chickens free-range, the newbies aren't complete strangers... in fact the incumbent hens are always interested to see who's in the pens.
I have, though, heard stories about new introductions being whupped up on pretty good. All I can say is that it hasn't happened to us. |
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We do have a couple of outside pens that are used to house the young ones separately until they are big enough to hold their own with the rest of the flock... I have, though, heard stories about new introductions being whupped up on pretty good. All I can say is that it hasn't happened to us. Big enough to hold their own is the crucial statement here. I introduced 6 new girls this year to two year old survivor of a fox attack. She turned into a mean old bitch when those little girls showed up. Now that they're finally about her size, things have settled down. If there are multiple older hens maybe its not as bad, but I don't know. |
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We do have a couple of outside pens that are used to house the young ones separately until they are big enough to hold their own with the rest of the flock... I have, though, heard stories about new introductions being whupped up on pretty good. All I can say is that it hasn't happened to us. Big enough to hold their own is the crucial statement here. I introduced 6 new girls this year to two year old survivor of a fox attack. She turned into a mean old bitch when those little girls showed up. Now that they're finally about her size, things have settled down. If there are multiple older hens maybe its not as bad, but I don't know. Third this. You'll wind up with dead hens if they are too small and your other birds are aggressive (there really isn't a way of knowing this until it happens). Keep them adjacent but separate until they are roughly the same size and they'll probably be OK. I've seen some of the calmest hens go ballistic when they get around non familiar birds on their territory. There will be some bald heads and bleeding for a while but they work it out. |
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Quoted: I have raised laying hens and a couple of roosters for 8 years. They have produced well but my small flock is down to 5 hens and a rooster. I want to get another dozen hen chicks but am concerned about introducing them into the flock. I really don't want to get rid of the old hens. And I don't want to build all new housing for a separate flock. Anybody ever introduce young hens to an existing flock? Advice appreciated. All the time. I will put them in the coop at night after everyone has been asleep for an hour or two. They all wake up in the morning and it usually goes pretty well. Two pieces of advice I will give you; 1) make sure that the chicks are big enough to take some abuse, they have to re-establish the pecking order so there will be some hazing by the older birds, and 2) buy yourself a can of Blu-Kote and watch them carefully, chickens are like weasels, when they see blood they go berserk and will peck and peck and peck until the abused chicken is dead. So the minute you see raw skin or blood spray that bird down with the Blu-Kote, its like a spray on band aid. Good luck  |