[ali2]

I f you  get more chickens is it ok just to put them straight in with the others or is it really best to keep them seperated for a while.....not everyone has space for for an extra coop have they?

[joyfull]

If they have an infection (not always known to the seller as the incubation period can be over 7 days) then you run the risk of introducing the infection to your girls 

[joe14]

I'm currently in the process of adding 3 new chickens to my other 3. The advice I was given was to take your time when introducing new hens and not to rush the process in order to avoid fighting.
So I've put another hen house into my run for the new chickens quite close to the one thats already in. They can see the other chickens. I'm letting the new ones free range around the others while they are locked in they're run and vice-versa. After a week or so (on Thursday) I'll let them free range together but I'm told I may have to seperate a few fights at first. Hopefully after 2-3 weeks they should be getting along
The advice also seems to to put in more food/drink stations to make sure everyones gets fed and watered while the bullying is going on.
I'll let you know if world war 3 breaks out when I try them together later in the week

[ali2]

Shall be intersting to see how you get on then    ...we have toyed with the idea of getting some bantams to go with our chickens so I suppose the process would have to be the same.

[francais]

I introduded 1 bantam to my existing two hybrids at Christmas (not the best way to go about it - introducing just one bird on her own). Mine was out of necessity though, and it went ok TBH. I made sure that there was extra food / water stations well away from the main set and kept a close eye out for serious bully tactics from the other two. They did show newbie who was boss, but I thinks that's all part of rank pulling anyway. They soon settled down though and within about a month you wouldn't have know she was any different from the original two.

[Ribbit]

One of our friends says that if (after quarantine) you place them in the coop at night with the rest they usually accept them in the morning. Has anyone tried this to confirm it?

[joyfull]

they will still have to establish a pecking order so fighting will break out although if you have a cockerel they will often help to sort it out.

[Ruby Red]

Try rubbing garlic on them so they all smell the same. Putting the new ones in the coop last thing at night when the others have settled is a good idea. The others will have already settled in their own places so the new ones wont be intruding on their patch. Also hens are dozy at night anyway and wont be inclined to bully.

[joe14]

Well just tryed mine together for a few mins Absolute carnage........ So looks like they going to be apart for a little while longer

[carolbriar]

I got 4 hens, one died and the breeder gave me another one and I also purchased another one to add to the group.  We had only had the first ones for 4 weeks so they were sort of still settling in but the breeder advised putting them in at night when the others were asleep.  They were all from the same batch of hens and also about the same age.  Anyway, did as suggested, the next morning my 3 came out and the 2 new ones stayed inside.  When my original 3 went in there was, who on earth are these creatures in our house! They did argue a bit and they were bullied a bit - one in particular - the Light Sussex.  The 3 original girls would sometimes sit in the house and not let the new ones in but after about 3 or 4 days they did settle.  I didn't quarantine mine because they were all from the same breeder and they had all been living together originally.