You will definitely want to integrate them carefully. As anyone with chickens is aware, they each have distinct personalities, which means sometimes integration is very easy, but with other groups it can be quite ugly. If your established hens see the new arrivals as a threat, even the sweetest birds can turn into remarkably vicious bullies. But thankfully there are steps you can take to help the integration go smoothly. One oft-successful technique is sometimes called the playpen method. This involves making a new enclosure for the young chicks that is placed close enough to the existing birds for them to become familiar with each other, but without physical contact. This method has the added advantage of allowing the chicks to grow a bit, so even if there is still a bit of bullying, they’ll be better able to get past it. One important factor to keep in mind is that your birds be given sufficient space. Overcrowding leads to fighting, which leads to stressed out birds and fewer eggs. Giving your flock plenty of space will go a long way toward peaceful integration. For more on raising and introducing chicks, check out https://www.almanac.com/tips-raising-baby-chicks.
Hi Lynn,
You will definitely want to integrate them carefully. As anyone with chickens is aware, they each have distinct personalities, which means sometimes integration is very easy, but with other groups it can be quite ugly. If your established hens see the new arrivals as a threat, even the sweetest birds can turn into remarkably vicious bullies. But thankfully there are steps you can take to help the integration go smoothly. One oft-successful technique is sometimes called the playpen method. This involves making a new enclosure for the young chicks that is placed close enough to the existing birds for them to become familiar with each other, but without physical contact. This method has the added advantage of allowing the chicks to grow a bit, so even if there is still a bit of bullying, they’ll be better able to get past it. One important factor to keep in mind is that your birds be given sufficient space. Overcrowding leads to fighting, which leads to stressed out birds and fewer eggs. Giving your flock plenty of space will go a long way toward peaceful integration. For more on raising and introducing chicks, check out https://www.almanac.com/tips-raising-baby-chicks.
All best,
Joe Bills
Associate Editor
OFA