Can You Put Other Baby Chicks in With a Hen
I call up nosotros all get 'that' craving every time leap comes round- introducing new chickens to our flock!?
In fact, with our first flock, information technology didn't even take usa this long. After the first weekend, we went and got another vi pullets.
Before we knew it, we had twelve pullets in our coop staring back at united states!
Fortunately, as the first six pullets were all the same establishing their pecking social club, introducing six additional pullets was surprisingly easy, and it happened without too much squabbling.
Unfortunately, this isn't ever the case, and introducing new chickens to your existing flock can be a distressing and problematic fourth dimension for both you and your chickens.
Our Selection for All-In-One Automatic Chicken Coop Door
Sale
Happy Coop Door
- Works Rain or Shine then you don't have to let them out in inclement atmospheric condition.
- Go ahead and get those extra hours of sleep or keep vacation, our door has you covered.
- Protect your Chickens from Predators with our self-locking feature
Our Option of Treats for Our Chickens
Quarantine Earlier Introducing New Chickens
Developed chickens are much more likely to be carrying a disease or infection, whereas chicks from a hatchery SHOULD be affliction-free. As a rule of pollex, we say if yous are introducing chicks or pullets from a reputable dealer, this step isn't required.
When introducing new chickens to your flock, the first step is quarantining the new chickens and ensuring they don't have whatever infections or diseases.
When you become your new chickens home, make certain you have a split up coop (or a large crate) prepared for them. If you have a carve up coop, you desire to make sure they are protected in their coop while they are quarantined. 1 of the best ways to fortify your coop is an automatic chicken coop door.
From this separate coop, you can observe them to check they are fit and illness-gratis- the last matter you want to do is give your existing flock a affliction from your new chickens.
The key things to await for are:
- Signs of lice or mites.
- Dull/shriveled comb.
- Blocked nostrils/ fluid coming from their eyes.
- Scaly legs.
If you are relatively new to raising chickens and are unsure what you are looking for, inquire a more experienced friend to check your new chickens or failing that.
Head over to our Facebook page and ask u.s.a..
Whilst your new chickens are quarantined, it's a practiced idea to supplement their water with minerals to brand sure they are fully fit earlier they run across your existing flock.
If you discover they look slightly underweight, make certain to feed them well to get them strong and salubrious before meeting your existing flock.
Quarantining should concluding anywhere from 7 to 31 days. The longer you quarantine your new chickens, the safer it is for the existing flock because yous have more time to spot any disease/disease.
During this quarantine period, make sure you thoroughly wash your easily in-between visiting your new chickens and existing flock.
This volition preclude whatsoever disease and infections from spreading betwixt the two separate camps.
Introducing New Chickens Slowly
We tin can't stress this next point enough- don't rush introducing your new chickens. Even if your new chickens don't need quarantining, don't simply place them direct in with your existing flock.
This will cause lots of unnecessary trouble and fighting.
You lot need a period of fourth dimension where your existing flock tin see the new chickens but can't 'touch' them. The easiest way to accomplish this is to identify the new chickens in their own pen, placed next to the existing pen.
This manner, your existing flock tin get used to the new chickens without instantly squabbling.
Another pop method is to place a crate inside the existing pen and place your new chickens inside this crate. We've not used this technique as this is a more aggressive tactic.
Whichever method y'all decide to employ, it's important that your new chickens are visible for around a week simply kept split up from your existing flock.
Give Your Chickens a Proper Introduction
Later on you lot have successfully quarantined and 'visually introduced' your new chickens, it's time to physically introduce them to each other.
If your chickens are gratuitous-range, the all-time mode to introduce them is to let the new chickens out get-go to free-range. So, after a few minutes, open the existing coop upward and let your existing flock bring together the new chickens to free-range.
If your chickens don't free-range and are in a pen, then the same principle applies, identify the new chickens in pen outset. Then allow your existing flock out to greet the new chickens.
When your existing flock 'greet' the new chickens, you will find there will be some scraps and jostling equally they establish the new pecking order.
This is perfectly normal and is a necessary step when successfully introducing new chickens.
You should only stop this jostling if one of the chickens looks injured. Or it starts to bleed- you don't desire your chickens to experience any permanent injuries.
If y'all find that the jostling is getting more than intense and lasts more than several minutes. Divide the new chickens and re-introduce them again tomorrow.
Please keep to exercise this in one case a day until they have settled down within a few minutes of introducing them.
Y'all will find that each breed reacts to new chickens differently. Hybrids and Buff Orpington's are usually very laid dorsum and welcome newcomers.
However, you may observe that Silkies or Rhode Island Reds can be very territorial and don't take well to new chickens.
After the chickens have met and can stay exterior together, information technology's time for the final play. That'southward moving the new chickens from their crate and into the existing coop.
You should find that after free-ranging for the day, the new chickens volition follow the flock into the coop. And they volition settle themselves in. However, if this doesn't happen and they endeavour to return to their old crate- let them.
Then, during the nighttime, take the chickens out of their crate and place them into the existing coop.
How Long Will It Have Introducing New Chickens?
All of the steps above might seem time-consuming and unnecessary to some backyard craven keepers out there.
However, it'southward meliorate non to rush these things in our experience and make certain due diligence is paid.
Quarantining: This shouldn't concluding more than a month. This will give you plenty of time to effectively assess the new chickens and care for any illnesses which they may have.
Visual Introductions: A week here is enough of time for the existing flock to get used to having the new chickens in their presence.
Physical Introductions: If y'all become lucky, you will only need to do this once, and they volition exist fine. Nevertheless, if y'all have a more ambitious/territorial brood of chicken.
It might take iii-4 attempts to innovate them physically.
Settling In: After the chickens have been introduced, you demand to go on a close eye on them the post-obit week. Make certain they are all eating and drinking properly, and besides keep an eye on egg production.
Sometimes when y'all introduced new chickens to the flock, they get off lay.
So in total, you are looking at effectually v-vi weeks from getting your new chickens home to fully integrating them into your existing flock.
Special Circumstances When Introducing New Chickens
Introducing baby chicks to adults
If you let nature take its class and have a broody hen that hatches her ain eggs, she will protect her own chicks.
However, if you buy an incubator and hatch your own chicks and effort to innovate them into your existing flock, y'all're going to have problems.
For the first fifteen-xvi weeks, yous need to split the chicks and go along them in their own pen. It would be all-time to look until the chicks have their feathers similar to the chickens in the existing flock.
Once they are a similar size, you tin can follow the process higher up without the quarantine phase.
Mixing Breeds
If you lot intend to introduce different breeds into your flock, this can also crusade some unique bug- the main concern is the potential size difference.
Larger breeds will always be more ascendant, and so it isn't off-white to introduce a smaller breed (i.e., Silkies) to a larger breed (i.due east., Jersey Behemothic) as the larger breed volition peachy the smaller breeds.
I know some backyard chicken keepers who accept successfully integrated smaller and larger breeds into a flock, but it tin can be non easy.
Tips and Tricks to Introducing New Chickens to Your Flock
Relocate Both Flocks: If possible, when y'all introduce the new chickens, move the existing coop and pen to a new area, so the existing chickens and the new chickens are starting with a new piece of land.
Aforementioned Size Matters: Endeavour but to innovate chickens that are a similar size to your existing flock.
Extend Earlier You Introduce: Ensure there is enough room in your existing coop and pen before introducing new chickens.
Isolate Aggressive Birds: If y'all notice i chicken, in particular, is overly aggressive to the newcomers, place the aggressive chicken in isolation for a few days to put her in cheque.
Distract With Treats: When you physically introduce the new chickens, make sure to take some treats ready to apply as a distraction if needed.
Don't Introduce Simply One: Make sure you don't introduce but 1 new chicken. Instead, introduce at least two new chickens, so the jostling/bullying from the existing pack is spread between them.
Patience is Key: Remember, chickens need to establish a pecking social club amongst their flock. New members upset the already delicate residual that has been created and established by your current chickens.
Pace Back For A Moment And Observe: Sometimes, it can exist difficult to stand back and watch the drama, but equally long equally it isn't turning extremely bloody or mortiferous, it'southward ok to look information technology out a bit.
After you've introduced new chickens to a flock a few times, you volition first to notice the typical pecking order behavior. And you will be able to see if the behavior is too aggressive.
Roosters: Unfortunately, once roosters have reached maturity, information technology is unwise to innovate a new rooster to an established flock (with a rooster).
The fights that ensue will exist bloody and exhausting for both roosters, and it may end in death. So unless yous've kept your roos together since birth and give them plenty of hens, yous cannot keep roosters together.
Protect Yourself: Make sure that you are prepared to pause upwardly a craven fight if things get a petty out of hand during introductions.
Beaks and claws will be flying, and if you do demand to arbitrate, protecting yourself with leather gloves and strong denim jeans will pay off if you must insert yourself.
Have a Toolkit Handy: If you lot take to suspension up the brawl, take towels, boxes, and spare cages on hand to contain the rowdy flock members until things calm down.
Also, keeping a commencement aid kit with a blood finish in it nearby may come in handy if things get bloody.
Our Choice for All-In-One Automatic Chicken Coop Door
Sale
Happy Coop Door
- Works Pelting or Polish so y'all don't take to let them out in choppy weather.
- Go ahead and go those extra hours of sleep or get on holiday, our door has y'all covered.
- Protect your Chickens from Predators with our self-locking characteristic
Our Choice of Treats for Our Chickens
Disclosure: We may earn affiliate commissions at no cost to y'all from the links on this page. This did not touch our assessment of products. Find total disclosure here.
Source: https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/how-to-introduce-new-chickens-to-your-existing-flock/
0 Response to "Can You Put Other Baby Chicks in With a Hen"
Post a Comment