[chuckmum]

Any ideas on introducing new chickens to an existing small flock (4). I have two new girls to add to my flock, both are a little older than the original residents, I am intending to added them to the perch undercover of darkness. I had heard spraying them all with a light vinegar solution would help with the uniform smell or rubbing them with garlic (although this sounds like preparation for the oven! ). Any advice welcome, as tonight it the night!

[Vember]

I tend to pop them in as you say at night fall

I have never had any problems, but I do think it depends on the amount of room the birds have to escape one another once outside 

Have you only just got the 2 new ones or have they been in view of your originals for a while first?


Sarah

[chuckmum]

Hi there, I got them this morning and they are in the guinea pig run next to the hens, eying each other with suspicion!

[chickenlady]

Hi chuckmum! i would think that as your original 4 are still quite young and you new girls are older you may find you dont get many problems! agree with vember that you can pop them in together after dark and be ready 1st thing in the morning for any squabbles! make sure you have a couple of drinkers and feeders dotted around so the new girls can still get food and water.
Would love to see some pics of the new girls! what did you get? must admit you beat me with adding more girls by about 2 months 

Debbie

[chuckmum]

Hi Debbie,
They are a Partridge Pekin (who is pol) and a Blue laced Wyandotte (16 wks), fingers crossed they are all in bed together no squawks yet, fingers crossed I hope all goes well!

[chickenlady]

Hi Debbie,
They are a Partridge Pekin (who is pol) and a Blue laced Wyandotte (16 wks), fingers crossed they are all in bed together no squawks yet, fingers crossed I hope all goes well!

They sound lovely! and you will gets some eggs whilst waiting for the babies to start! 
Exactly what we did, think our original 3 babies were about 12 wks old when the waiting got too much and i went out and bought 2 pol hens! 
How have they got on today?

Debbie

[chuckmum]

There seems to be a pecking order - now a top chick (new Pekin) who initial ruled with a sharp peck, this has been happening a lot less by the end of the day, just an occasional squawk if anyone gets to close! There also is a bottom chick (new wyandotte), although I think all will be sorted out in a few days. All in one piece, so we will see. I did add in extra food as the top chick was hogging it to start with, again this was much less this evening. The politics of hens!

[barbarella]

We introduced three new POL girls to our two 2 year old Rhody crosses last night.  I popped them in the Eglu after the residents had gone to roost, closed the door and hoped for the best.  In the morning the two old girls came out first and the others gingerly followed - the Maran first, followed by the Light Sussex and finally and more nervous Black Rock.  Within a couple of minutes, the top bird Rhodie was pecking at the Maran, who thankfully defended herself - I wonder if the Rhodie thought the Maran was the top girl of the newcomers and wanted to show her who was boss.

When I went back later, the newcomers were huddled at the back of the run and the two old girls were lording it on the compost heap in the run extension - of dear .  By the afternoon though, their positions were reversed and each time I checked they had changed places.  When I went to shut them into the main run tonight, the two old girls were in the extension and I had a job to entice them in, using their favourite dried mealworms.  I'm hoping that when I go down to close the Eglu later, they will all have gone in to roost. 

It is a real worry isn't it, this pecking order business?  I hope someone can reassure us anxious mums that they all settle down in the end.  I know it works with cats though.  When we introduced our two kittens to our incumbent cat a year ago, Heidi moved into a neighbour's summerhouse for at least two months and was extremely wary of being round the kittens for ages afterwards but now they all curl up togeher in one big ball of fur and Heidi loves the bones of them.  Aaah!

[chuckmum]

All is calm and everyone is settled. I was quite glad to be back to school so that I didn't see the fights that I am sure ensued and also glad my boys were at school too, chickens can be mean! Its my day off today and they appear to be a full integrated flock, all sitting preening themselves on the log in the run. I didn't bother rubbing them with garlic or vinegar , but I did add extra food and hang up more green to distract them, which certainly helped lessen the pecking. I also put the newcomers on the perch, as one of them was settling in the nest box, there was no objections to this and she now goes straight on the perch with the others Peaceful hens arrrhhh!