Best way to introduce new chooks?

[araminta]

We have four girls at the moment, but would love to add two more to the flock! What is the best way to introduce 2 newcomers?

[Glutton4...]

At bed time, I do believe. But wait until someone with more experience comes along. I had to introduce my new 8 to my original 8, so I put them all in the run together and let them get on with it as they had plenty of room. They all went to bed together without too much trouble the first night, so I didn't worry too much. It did take about a week to sort out who was boss though, but no harm done!

[araminta]

Thanks! Did you find that the original "top chick" remained in power, or did the whole pecking order change?

[sarraceniac]

My 8 year old grand-daughter says. 'Buy some eggs'. Sorry but couldn't resist putting it on here.

[Glutton4...]

Thanks! Did you find that the original "top chick" remained in power, or did the whole pecking order change?

No, one of the new ones is boss.

The original 8 brown ones had been together 7 weeks, so had established their pecking order, and there didn't seem to be a real bully, or a real underdog. Just Nosey Rosie, who was named for obvious reasons.

The 8 new white ones were all just put together randomly the day I collected them, so they were all individuals, without any order. One of them, the biggest and loudest is the boss of all of them. She got named Bianca as she's white, and I seem to remember a 'gobby' person of that name in Eastenders from way back when I used to watch it!

I suppose, looking back, that it was unfair to put them all together as I did, but the white ones had spent one night together in the big coop first, before I introduced the brown ones to them, and the run was plenty large enough.

Strangely, it's those two who come and sit on my lap for a cuddle!

[Noodle]

Hi, I introduced 2 bantams to my original 3 and it took ages for them to settle down. I pu tthem in a bed time and let them get on with it. When I got 2 barn hens I put them in a small arc inside the run during the day and let them all sleep together at night, after a week I let them all out during the day and they were fine.
I don't know if it was because of the hens or the different techniques, but I will use the second way again. Hope it goes smoothly for you.

[MaureenHall]

The first time I introduced new chooks to the flock, I had a separate coop and run so that they could all see each other but not touch. Hazel, the boss of the originals grumbled very loudly for 2 days every time she looked at the newbies! I started letting them mingle together for an hour or so before bedtime for a couple of days before putting them all in the same coop together and letting them get on with it. I did the same for the next lot of newbies too. The latest 2, I collected from my daughters at their bed-time so they went into the new big coop with the others straight away. I let them all have the run of the garden for a couple of days so there was plenty of space for the new girls to get out of the way if there was any bullying going on. Not a peep out of any of them!! They all get along together fine, no squabbles, all put themselves to bed and snuggle up together on the perches. The new ones are still a bit timid and do tend to stay together under the laurel hedge for most of the day, but where one goes, the other's not far behind. The only other thing I'd suggest is that you have more than 1 feeder or feeding place so the new ones do at least get a look in first thing in the mornings!

Good luck and enjoy

[Noodle]

I think it depends on the amount of space as Maureen said. Mine were in a run, so not a huge amount of space for them to get out of the way of the originals! Hope it goes well!

[Twinkle]

Bought 6 new ones to add to our original 3, put them in at night as recommended, next morning it was warfare....

Ended up dividing the run with some netting, but every so often someone would jump the net and get pounced on by the oldies and heavily pecked. Left them like this for about 8-10 days. They were fine when free ranging as they formed 2 groups. After about 2 weeks there was no more bloodshed, just the odd crafty "OI watch it" peck in passing. They get on fine now.

[araminta]

Thanks for all your replies. Just waiting for the weather to warm up a bit then will go for it. We have got a separate strip of land where we can separate the newbies if necessary but hopefully they will all be fine.