[The Oxtish]

Hi, new to the forum so I hope I'm not asking a stupid question! We have a small flock of 5 birds and have just hatched a chicken (Polish) who is now 6 weeks and living outside in a small run within the main chicken run. He/she is very keen to get out and join the others but when should I allow this? The birds are pretty brutal when establishing the pecking order! Can anyone give me any guidance?

[Vember]

Hi Oxtish

Welcome to the hen house


In my opinion it all depends on the sizes of the birds. That's how I judge it if they're similar size etc :?
If your established flock are brutal as you put it then I would wait, they could do the poland alot of damage

Could you not get another young bird to keep the poland company and then add the two at a later date?


Sarah

[The Oxtish]

Hi Sarah,

Thanks.

We've also got 4 more chicks that hatched 2 weeks later under a broody bantam we have. They're altogether in another run so if they catch up in size I could move the Polish in with them. Anyway, I'll wait a bit longer and see how it grows  

Frank

[Vember]

Sounds like the best idea Frank

It's not easy introducing just one in to a well established group


Keep us updated with how things go


Take Care


Sarah

[pushrod]

very difficult to put a single new bird into a run "belonging" to other older birds as  they will all be trying to preserve their place in the pecking order. When i have had to introduce a new bird i will let them meet first in a place "owned"  by none ie the lawn and feed them together. I have then moved the established birds out and put the new bird in and slowly put the original birds back in one at a time over the space of a week or two. This obviously depends on how much space you have.
I would also wait til they are similar size - at just 6 weeks i would think the newbird is too young and small.

[The Oxtish]

Thanks for the advice. Went to the local agricultural show today and decided to get a 7 week Lauman chick. It had been used as a kids petting chick so is very tame. We've put it in the the Polish and they seem fine. That will make 12 chickens in all so the flock seems to be ever growing

[SnooziSuzi]

Hi Oxtish, welcome to the site  

I'd agree with Pushrod that it's better to let them integrate first on a no-mans-land and then bring them in together, however chickens have very small brains and big memories!  What I'm getting at is that they may remember who belongs where in their established run, so perhaps there might be a fair bit of squaking and bullying when they first arrive - this is to be expected as they jostle again for position.

I'm letting my banty and her chicks out every so often to integrate with the existing flock without many problems (in fact she is more of a a problem than the birds she squares up to! she's a feisty one!) and then putting them back again at night so that they get used to seeing each other around.  The older hybrids still rule the roost and are often caught bullying the babies, but this will soon iron itself out!

[kenny d]

I had two 2 week old chicks who lost there mum to the dreaded fox,  so i put them in with a mother with four chicks about three days old and she took them on as her own with no problems , perhaps you could try them with your other mum ?