Ask my husband what stresses me out, and he’ll say, “worrying about pets,” and introducing new hens to my chicken coop is no exception. Selecting new birds is always exciting, but transporting and introducing them to an established flock is my least favorite part of the experience.
I always wish I could fast-forward a few days until everyone settles in, and the pecking order is established. The coop drama that comes with new hens is just part of crazy chicken owner life—but there are some tactics that make the transition easier, on chicken owners and their birds.
Before we get to the meat of the blog, I have to remind chicken owners to be cognizant of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and the risks of introducing new hens to your flock. Experts discourage purchasing chickens from swap meets, sale barns or online platforms to reduce the possibility of purchasing birds that have been exposed to disease.
The safest way to add new chickens without bringing disease into a backyard flock is to purchase day old chicks. These chicks must be kept separate from the adult birds to avoid bullying and death. Many chicken owners do not want to wait for day old chick to mature to pullets, risk the possibility of raising a flock of roosters or simply do not have a way to keep baby chicks safe and separate from the rest of the flock.
If you are purchasing pullets, look for a source that uses solid biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of disease. It is also a good idea to quarantine new additions for a few days to ensure they do not have any symptoms that could indicate an infectious disease. Once you feel confident it is safe to commingle, you can start the process of acclimating them to the rest of the flock.
Key coop considerations
When I decide to add some new hens to my flock, I always consider three things: weather, quantity and my availability to police the coop. If it’s hotter than high noon in Death Valley, it’s probably not the best time to add new arrivals. Stress combined with heat can be a deadly combination. Instead, try to add to your flock when the weather is tolerable and provide adequate ventilation, so no one overheats. I prefer to add new chickens in the fall, winter or spring to avoid the hottest months of the year.
It’s always best to introduce at least two or more hens at a time. Many times, the higher the quantity of new additions, the more spread out the reaction from the old hens, and they are less likely to single out one hen to pick on. Size is also crucial. You want to introduce new hens that are similar in size and weight so there is less possibility of all the hens ganging up on a smaller bird.
This plays into my third point of managing coop drama and bullying. This is normal because there is always a different dynamic in the flock when you add new hens, and especially a rooster. It can take some time for everyone to learn their place and figure out how to get along with the rest of the group. If one bird is particularly aggressive, you can isolate them temporarily to keep the hostility from spiraling.
It is important to monitor your flock during the first few weeks after incorporating new birds to make sure none of the hens are physically injured. Once blood is drawn, it can incite more violent behavior and lead to serious injuries. The bottom-line is don’t get new hens and then leave for vacation the next day.
Introducing birds
When I’m ready to introduce new chickens, I usually put them in a cage next to my coop for a day while my old flock free ranges in the yard. This is a soft introduction so that the new and old hens can meet each other and interact, but the cage keeps everyone safe.
When I’m ready to bite the bullet and officially combine the birds together in the coop, I always do it at night. Chickens sleep at night and they don’t really care who is next to them. The real challenge will be the next day when they wake up to a stranger on their roost. That’s when fighting can happen.
If your chickens live in an enclosed run, space is crucial. Do not get more chicken than you have space to house safely. Each chicken needs about 4 square feet of space inside the coop and 8 square feet within the chicken run if they stay in an enclosure. Chickens must have someone to escape from each other or they will peck each other out of boredom and lack of space to spread out.
If your flock free ranges during the day, the new chickens and old members of the flock must be shut in the coop together for at least 24-36 hours prior to opening the door. This process, although stressful for the birds during the day, is the only way to intermingle the chickens into a new flock that free ranges.
It is also crucial that the new birds understand this coop is their new home and the safe place they should return to every evening to roost. There is a possibility on the first evening after the first day outside free ranging that some of the new hens will not understand how to get in the coop. That’s why it is crucial that chicken keepers can be present at this time to make sure everyone gets in safely. Most of the time the first night is the most difficult and from then on hens will get with the program.
Adding new chickens to a flock can be overwhelming, but the end result is so rewarding. I love to look out at my chickens as they free-range together in harmony. Sometimes they start out as sworn enemies, but in a few days, everyone usually gets along, and they become a family of feathered friends.
Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].
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