How do you introduce new chickens?

[dave1949]

This site says it is related to the ratio/numbers of new to existing flock members. And you may also have to identify the dominant hen and isolate her for a long time.

chickenhop

It seems the concensus is that the pecking order is the main driver. So, how does chicken recognition work? Figuring out how to 'fool' or confuse them might offer a solution.

If you raked up a bunch chicken dust, feathers, etc. from the existing chickens and powdered the new chickens well with that, it might cover any olfactory clues. I don't think birds have much of a sense of smell, but just thinking out loud. There has to be a trick to it somehow, I know we are smarter than the chickens.

Dave.

 

[randy41]

We have about 5 older hens and a rooster that we added about 25 new chicks to. We did it by setting up a simple fence in the yard that keeps the older ones seperated from the new ones. The main reason we did this is keep the older ones out of the chicks starter/grower feed. After a couple of weeks (and running out of starter/grower) we took the fence down and they comingled without much fuss. This is the second time it was done this way and it has worked very well both times. It gave them time to be aware of each other without the sudden introduction.

 

[Mousefield]

We have about 5 older hens and a rooster that we added about 25 new chicks to. We did it by setting up a simple fence in the yard that keeps the older ones seperated from the new ones. The main reason we did this is keep the older ones out of the chicks starter/grower feed. After a couple of weeks (and running out of starter/grower) we took the fence down and they comingled without much fuss. This is the second time it was done this way and it has worked very well both times. It gave them time to be aware of each other without the sudden introduction.

Probably it worked because you introduced a much larger number than your original flock. We tried to introduce 2 new against 20. Much easier to gang up on one or two. Just like people, bigger group often picks on the new or different.
Glad you had success and shared it. :thumbsup:

 

[montyhp]

Also check BackYardChickens - Raise Chickens, Build a Chicken Coop, Hatch Eggs. They have a great forum with hundreds of posts on this subject.

Montyhp

 

[Lloyd_E]

Barn yard etiquette says you always introduce most important to new...

ie: Mrs Cluck allow me to introduce ms chick of etc. etc.

Sorry I couldn't resist...

Lloyd