The Saga Of Introducing New Chickens To A Flock

Gasp!

It’s time you want to start introducing new chickens to put with the rest of your flock.

And you know this is not going to be easy…

Whether you fancy more chickens or other breeds of chickens that you just can’t resist, you know this is not going to be easy.

So let’s talk about the introduction of chickens, shall we?

Just a note, it is far easier to introduce a rooster to a flock of hens than it is to introduce a hen to a flock of hens.

Introducing New Chickens With My Old Ones?

To raise chickens, there are procedures and adaptations to attend to.

One very good instance is introducing a group of “new” birds to a flock of old birds.

It’s like managing to merge two restaurants when one is Italian and the other is Chinese.

Stress will come along.

And that is not an assumption, it’s a fact.

Many poultry owners who think that they’re ready to expand their chickens purchase them from the outside.

While others take their time and wait for hens to hatch their eggs.

But there is still the problem of introducing chicks to a flock.

Adding new breeds into your peaceful and comfortable neighbourhood of chickens can put quite a rumble between the old and the new chickens.

Admit it, nobody likes newcomers.

And adding these newcomers into a flock of hens or roosters that already have certain territories inside their coop can be a big mess.

The newcomers will try to take their place too, and the oldies will try their best to protect their area.

Fret not, for this kind of attitude and feud lasts for only a couple of days.

Hopefully…

Adaptation can and will now take place, eventually…

How Long Does It Take For Hens To Accept New Hens?

As the matter of fact is, it can take quite a long time for near-total harmony.

Some say it can take up to 3 weeks when introducing new chickens, for them to get to like each other properly and feel like a content flock of chickens…

You need to be patient because it’s not going to happen overnight.

We wish...

There will already be a pecking order established in the flock as with any group of animals, people included.

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When have you seen a civilisation or a tribe that does not have a leader?

Just watch to make sure you don’t have fighting chickens for more than 20-30 seconds, drawing blood.

Although you can’t avoid this kind of predicament from chicken introductions.

You can make certain adjustments that can keep all of you happy and stress-free when introducing new chickens to a new flock…

Peacemaking Strategies To Help In The Introduction Of Chickens To A Flock

There are numerous peace-making strategies to help both parties adjust to each other.

Isn’t it nice to see your new and old birds in one space without having to stop them from pecking one another?

One very good strategy is to let them see each other without having any physical contact.

How?
If you do have a run (which is basically attached to the coop), you could put your old chickens there and then put a border (chicken wire) between the run and the coop.

Put your new chickens inside the coop.

This way, they are able to see each other minus the harm.

Be sure that both parties have access to sufficient food and water.

You can do this for about a week.

As transition day comes, that will be a week after the slight introduction, you can now “join” them in one area.

You can transfer the newcomers to the resident flock’s territory during the night when all the birds are sleeping.

Upon waking up, the old chickens will notice the new ones and they will, at any point, try to start a fight but will not because they are too groggy to initiate it.

Not a strategy that has been proven effective, but it is worth trying if you like.

I myself would rather be there when I introduce chickens together, that way I can monitor their reactions and break up any chicken fights that might get too ugly…

Distraction Techniques For Introducing Chickens Together

Introducing new chickens distraction techniques are always effective in some way.

This can alleviate tactics of war coming from the resident chickens.

If you don’t do this, the old hens will chase the newcomers till all their feathers come off.

Well…

Maybe not that drastic…

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I would not let that happen, myself.

That would be devastating.

Some Distracting Techniques are:

a. Cabbage heads can do the trick.

By hanging a piece of whole cabbage just above their heads, chickens will reach it until everything is finished.

That is if they don’t get exhausted by jumping to it and reaching it.

b. Make the pursuit an obstacle for the pursuing party of chickens by adding large branches inside the run and coop so that the new chickens can dodge their pursuers.

c. Let them run around at a wider and freer range.

The oldies will be so thrilled to dig for grubs and insects that they wouldn’t even notice that there are newcomers roaming around.

Why Chickens Fight With New Chickens

I need to address the phycology of why, when a new chicken, or batch of chickens get picked on by the original flock of chickens.

It’s nothing new in the world of animals and territory.

The territory is fought over by an individual or a group for resources.

If there are too many sharing the same territory resources are stretched to the limit of if a section of land can sustain them food-wise.

It is no different with chickens, also when any group of living creatures becomes a group there is as they say ‘a pecking order’.

And this does not just refer to chickens.

There is a leader and then you go down the ladder of who comes next, now this can be challenged at any time, especially if one is taken away for a long time or is in fact injured.

An opportunity is seen for climbing up the social ladder.

Now…

When you introduce newcomers to the mix, the stability of the social group is put into Kaos, as new hens need a new re-organisation of the social ladder.

And the advantage the original chickens have is the familiarity with their land.

So you will get the assertion of showing who is boss, and there might be some individuals who see an opportunity of fitting in the social ladder higher up, old or new.

So you can not get past conflict when it comes to introducing new chickens into a flock.