Best ways to introduce a new chicken into your flock. This article covers isolation of your new bird during first introductions, how to release the new bird's into your flock, tips to make the transition easier, special notes from Motherhen. Plus, watch our featured video: How to Introduce a New Chicken Into Your Flock.
Isolate new birds
When introducing a new chicken to your flock the first thing to do is to isolate the bird from the rest of the flock for 30 days. The purpose of isolating the new bird is to protect your flock from any diseases or illness that may have went unnoticed while shopping for your new bird. Most illness or disease will appear within 30 days.
The second reason to isolate your new bird is to eliminate as much stress on the bird as possible. The bird may be stressed from transporting it, being in new surroundings and hearing different sounds. The idea is to keep the bird as stress-free as possible.
The third reason to isolate your new bird is to imprint them by allowing the bird to get to know you and develop a relationship of trust. After the 30 days is over it is time to introduce your new bird to the flock if there has been no signs of illness. First introductions can get tricky. See more below.
Isolate new birds
When introducing a new chicken to your flock the first thing to do is to isolate the bird from the rest of the flock for 30 days. The purpose of isolating the new bird is to protect your flock from any diseases or illness that may have went unnoticed while shopping for your new bird. Most illness or disease will appear within 30 days.
The second reason to isolate your new bird is to eliminate as much stress on the bird as possible. The bird may be stressed from transporting it, being in new surroundings and hearing different sounds. The idea is to keep the bird as stress-free as possible.
The third reason to isolate your new bird is to imprint them by allowing the bird to get to know you and develop a relationship of trust. After the 30 days is over it is time to introduce your new bird to the flock if there has been no signs of illness. First introductions can get tricky. See more below.
The First Introduction to the Flock-How to do it
You wouldn't just move someone into your house without meeting them first, so it makes sense to first introduce your chickens to one another before putting them together. First introductions should be outside and from separate pens.The best way to do this is to place the birds in a open cage or pen during the day with bedding, feed and water where the other birds have access to see and watch the new birds but are separated by a fence or cage. The older birds will come and check the new birds out without any danger of harm. Make sure there is plenty of feed and water. Add new feed and water dishes right before you release the birds into the flock.
Introducing New Chickens to the Hen House
If you plan to introduce your new chickens inside the hen house, it is usually best to put the new hens inside a cage at night for the first few nights and let them out in the morning to eat with the flock. This will make the introductions easier because they will have already acknowledged each other's presence. Make sure you add new feed dishes so the old chickens don't feel like their food is being taken from them.
Scroll down to see more information about releasing your chickens into your flock and to watch our featured video.
Scroll down to see more information about releasing your chickens into your flock and to watch our featured video.
Featured Video: Introducing new chickens to an existing flock
How to Release New Chickens Into your flock
When you make the first introduction outside of the separate pens be sure to have plenty of snacks on hand to throw out to them which will make the introduction easier. Making introduction's while the hens are "free-ranging" is generally preferred to introducing them inside the hen house. After a few days of introduction, if there are no more signs of aggressiveness, you can release the new bird into the flock. Watch them for awhile to see how they interact with the older birds. There may be some initial aggressiveness as they create a new "pecking order". Watch to make sure it does not get out of hand and stop them by separating them and telling the older birds, (loudly) who misbehaved "No, No bad girl!" The hens will not like displeasing you and should be more receptive the next time the new bird's get in their area but watch them closely to be sure.
Hens tend to be very protective of their space particularly in the morning when feeding and at night while getting situated in the roost. Keep an extra close eye on them during this period as they can become quite aggressive with the new birds.
Do NOT intervene unless one of them is getting seriously hurt. The hens will establish a new "pecking order" and all will be well.
If the new bird is a baby chick, after the chick or chick's are 3-5 weeks old you can use this same procedure to introduce the new chicks to the flock but you should keep them separated in a separate pen until they are three months old before releasing them into the flock. Be sure to read our tips to make meeting the flock easier below.
Hens tend to be very protective of their space particularly in the morning when feeding and at night while getting situated in the roost. Keep an extra close eye on them during this period as they can become quite aggressive with the new birds.
Do NOT intervene unless one of them is getting seriously hurt. The hens will establish a new "pecking order" and all will be well.
If the new bird is a baby chick, after the chick or chick's are 3-5 weeks old you can use this same procedure to introduce the new chicks to the flock but you should keep them separated in a separate pen until they are three months old before releasing them into the flock. Be sure to read our tips to make meeting the flock easier below.
Tips to Make Meeting The Flock Easier
Enlarge the coop or run area
Make sure they are in a large enough area so that they are not overcrowded. Overcrowding will cause them to peck at each other and even kill one another.
Add new feed and water dishes
Adding one or two new feed and water dishes can ease some of the stress and fighting because the "old" hens will be protective over their feed and water container's thereby leaving the new containers open for the "new" hens.
Do NOT allow the hens to fight one another if they are drawing blood. Some dominant hens can get extremely aggressive. If this happens, get in between them and reprimand her. She will understand that this means she is supposed to allow the new birds to eat.
Add new nest boxes
Adding new nest boxes to the hen house will also ease some of the stress. The older hens will fight over nest boxes. By adding new nest boxes the "old" bird's will not feel so invaded. The object is to make the introductions as easy and stress-free as possible.
Supervise the introductions while pecking order is being established
All introductions should be supervised. Do NOT just put the new hens in the pen and just leave them alone because their little fights could get out of hand and one may kill the other. This is very rare but does happen. A "pecking order" will quickly be established with the more dominant and older hens acting like roosters and attacking the new hens. Some may challenge the mature hen but usually the hen's that were there first will quickly "check" the new ones. Generally, the "pecking order" is established with in 3-7 days.
After the "pecking order" is established the hen's will usually get along fine.
Make sure they are in a large enough area so that they are not overcrowded. Overcrowding will cause them to peck at each other and even kill one another.
Add new feed and water dishes
Adding one or two new feed and water dishes can ease some of the stress and fighting because the "old" hens will be protective over their feed and water container's thereby leaving the new containers open for the "new" hens.
Do NOT allow the hens to fight one another if they are drawing blood. Some dominant hens can get extremely aggressive. If this happens, get in between them and reprimand her. She will understand that this means she is supposed to allow the new birds to eat.
Add new nest boxes
Adding new nest boxes to the hen house will also ease some of the stress. The older hens will fight over nest boxes. By adding new nest boxes the "old" bird's will not feel so invaded. The object is to make the introductions as easy and stress-free as possible.
Supervise the introductions while pecking order is being established
All introductions should be supervised. Do NOT just put the new hens in the pen and just leave them alone because their little fights could get out of hand and one may kill the other. This is very rare but does happen. A "pecking order" will quickly be established with the more dominant and older hens acting like roosters and attacking the new hens. Some may challenge the mature hen but usually the hen's that were there first will quickly "check" the new ones. Generally, the "pecking order" is established with in 3-7 days.
After the "pecking order" is established the hen's will usually get along fine.
Motherhen's Note: "It is a good idea to keep smaller breeds of chickens in separate flocks from standard size, and larger breeds. Also, separate your chickens by age, baby chicks with baby chicks, pullets with pullets, adults with adults. They may get along fine together but in the event that the pecking order changes for some reason or a bossier, larger hen decides to fight over a nest box the smaller hen will be cornered and possibly injured or worse trying to escape the nest box. If you are breeding chickens you should also separate your flocks by breed." (Rev. Penny Dean).