Need Some Guidance Integrating New Adult Hens

[brentr]

Calling all chicken experts...

We have a small flock (8) red sex links hens. Confined to a coop and attached run. Got them from a commercial grower so they were de-beaked. Absolutely love them. Wanted some Ameracaunas for the novelty and think they are pretty birds. Found some on CL for cheap. Fully grown and already laying.

When I brought the new ladies home Sunday morning (11/4), I put them in a cage in the middle of the coop so all the birds could acclimate to each other. Left them there with food and water all day. Opened cage and put them together at dusk when they were all settling down. I expected some fussing (I get "pecking order") but since then these new hens stay up in the nest boxes or roost and NEVER seem to come down. Or rather whenever they've come down, a few of the sex links really go after them and they flee back up to safety. I blocked the sex links in the run yesterday so the Ameracaunas could eat and drink.

My questions:
1. Is this normal, and how long should I expect it to last before they accept each other - and so just let it play out?
2. Would the new birds possibly never feel safe and therefore never eat and be in danger of starving?
3. is there anything I can do to help or make it better?

I really don't want birds that cower in the coop their whole life, and I don't have the space to have two separate coops of birds. Nor do I have the time to block the coop so the new birds can eat/drink daily.

Thanks for the help. BYC intimidates me. :/ I'd be grateful for a little advice here.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

When I integrate new birds, I do two things. First, I set up the new birds in a pen next to the existing flock for about a week, so that they can see and interact somewhat but not harm each other. Then, I move the birds into the same pen and keep my blue coat spray handy---if the birds peck at each other and especially if blood is drawn, I spray the bird down with blue kote because it cleans the wound and tastes horrible, which prevents further pecking. They usually work out the new order by the end of the week.

 

[EllieMay]

This is that "pecking order" you've heard about.
Unfortunately, some birds (and breeds) are more aggressive than others.
This usually lasts anywhere from 3 days to a week.
(Sometimes longer.)
And there may be a hen that will "always" get picked on.
As long as the new hens are eating/drinking and not getting bloody, don't worry too much about it.
It'll all blow over eventually.
Just keep an eye on them.
IF it is at all possible to separate them (in the same coop) for a little longer, that'd be best.

The whole pecking order thing can be frustrating.
I have about 14 roosters and if I take some to a show and am gone for 4 hours and come back, my roosters will begin fighting as if they were all new roosters.
They don't hurt each other, but I just want to bash them in the head sometimes!

 

[RyansRabbits]

I saw one guy use a interesting method. He put all the chickens into a cage the was almost to small for them to make them uncomfortable and have to touch each other. He then put them into the back of his pickup and drove around with them like that for about 20 minutes. This shared experience of this formed a bond between all of them. There was still a bit of jockeying for position to create the pecking order but that was it.

 

[RemudaOne]

I've always housed them in a cage or pen within my main run. I leave them there no less than a week. After a week of getting to know eachother through the hardware cloth or expanded metal they have always been familiar enough with eachother that no one gets beat up.

 

[Southern by choice]

Any new birds should be quarantined for a minimum of 30 days. I prefer 120 days. It is very easy to infect a whole flock by bringing in new birds. Birds may "appear healthy" but may be carrying MS, MG, LT and these diseases are often dormant in the bird until triggered by stress. Once triggered your whole flock can be exposed in a very short period of time. We are an NPIP Certified flock, we specialize in disease management. We are also a closed flock.

After the quarantine period is over, having a pen inside a pen works well, after a week or so, open pen door so old and new chickens have the ability to check each other out. I find transition periods are much harder for penned birds that are very territorial esp with their coop. Free ranged birds that only return to the coop at night seem to accept newer birds more readily but still have a pecking order in the coop. The older more mature and dominant birds always decide where their perches are and no "newbie" is allowed. All of our younger birds are on lower perches and "not allowed" on the rafters. After considerable time they are accepted into the rafters.Each group of birds tends to always remain with their group for life, on our farm anyway.

 

[brentr]

Any new birds should be quarantined for a minimum of 30 days. I prefer 120 days. It is very easy to infect a whole flock by bringing in new birds. Birds may "appear healthy" but may be carrying MS, MG, LT and these diseases are often dormant in the bird until triggered by stress. Once triggered your whole flock can be exposed in a very short period of time. We are an NPIP Certified flock, we specialize in disease management. We are also a closed flock.

After the quarantine period is over, having a pen inside a pen works well, after a week or so, open pen door so old and new chickens have the ability to check each other out. I find transition periods are much harder for penned birds that are very territorial esp with their coop. Free ranged birds that only return to the coop at night seem to accept newer birds more readily but still have a pecking order in the coop. The older more mature and dominant birds always decide where their perches are and no "newbie" is allowed. All of our younger birds are on lower perches and "not allowed" on the rafters. After considerable time they are accepted into the rafters.Each group of birds tends to always remain with their group for life, on our farm anyway.

Agree with your comments. You and I are in very different circumstances, I suspect. Even if I lost every bird, I'm not out that much, relatively speaking. I don't WANT to lose any, mind you...

Things are getting a little better as a few more days pass. Still a ways to go. Lesson for me, I think, is that when I rotate my flock, get 'em at the same time. I don't think I'll be trying this type of thing again anytime soon. I'm not set up for long-term quarantine, and don't have space to set up the birds separately through a common wire partition to allow getting acquainted "across the fence," as it were.

My concern now is that when I let them out for a scratch in the backyard this weekend, the new birds will decide to head for parts unknown and I'll never see them again.

 

[she-earl]

I have two pens available if (when) I need them. I generally take my "old" chickens and put them in the "new" chickens pen. It takes them out of their comfort zone and gives the new chickens an upperhand. If I had a third pen or area available, I would put the two "flocks" together in there as it would be new to both sets of chickens.

 

[Southern by choice]

My concern now is that when I let them out for a scratch in the backyard this weekend, the new birds will decide to head for parts unknown and I'll never see them again.

Try letting out the "old girls" to range and leave the "new girls" in for alone time to explore the coop unhindered. Then maybe mid-day open your coop door and let them decide to go out or not. I have found most of the time they will still hang out inside peeping through the door and once they do go out they usually stay close to the coop.

I really hope they come around for you.

Just wondering, are the "Ameraucana's" true or are they Easter Eggers? I ask because EE's are usually much friendlier and like to be around people and the true Ameraucana's are alot more skitzy and flighty, not the nicest birds. They do lay nice blue eggs though .

RyansRabbits sounds like it just might work, crazy as it sounds. But I do wonder if that wouldn't put them on stress overload.

 

[RemudaOne]

I agree with everything that Southern has said. Obviously a very experienced and knowledgeable flock master!