Introducing New Chickens to Your Flock
This guide on introducing new chickens to your flock will give you tips on how to have a smoother transition. Whether you are adding in new chicks, a rooster, or laying hens, this chaos-free approach will help.
How to raise chickens by establishing a coop that is healthy and thriving giving you farm fresh eggs all year long.
Raising chickens in your backyard is a rewarding and fun way to start your journey as a homesteader. Chickens are pretty self-sufficient and what they give back makes the cost investment worth it.
Benefits of Raising Backyard Chickens
When we first started raising chickens I thought the only things I would get out of it was fresh eggs but to my surprise there were other benefits I quickly found.
- Fewer bugs – Chickens love to eat bugs that threaten gardens making this a great benefit. From Japanese betters, to slugs and grubs they will help to keep these invasive pests under control.
- Fertilizer – Chicken manure is so good for a garden because it is high in nitrogen.
- Waste control – Chickens love kitchen scraps and many leftovers, allowing you to feed them things you may normally throw away.
How long to chickens lay eggs?
Since eggs are the number one reason why people raise chickens, knowing how long they lay can help you setup a replenishing routine for your homestead.
Most chickens lay well for about three years, tapering off after that time. To keep a good flock with constant egg-laying, you will want to add new hens every 2 years.
This means you will be introducing new members to the flock every other year, which can upset the coop dynamic.
Luckily there are a few things you can do to make the transition a smoother one for everyone in the coop.
Timing Is Everything: When to Add to the Flock
Timing is an important part of adding new members to the flock. This includes the age of the new hens as well as the time of day that is best to add them.
What is a good age?
It’s generally recommended that chickens should be at least 12 weeks old before going out to the coop and this is for two reasons.
- At 12 weeks they will have reached a size where they can defend themselves if necessary.
- At 12 weeks they can more easily withstand the temperatures in your area.
What is a good time of day?
The timing of when you add your new chickens can play a huge role in how things play out.
#1. Dusk is a great option because your flock is tired and more relaxed after a long day.
#2. Dawn is another good choice because often, that is when the flock is fed, and food can be a good distraction when bringing in new members.
Chicken Care Calendar
Chicken Guide and Record JournalChicken Coop and Run Bundle
For us, we like to do things after dark when everyone is up resting on the roost.
Chickens do not have the best memories and if you place a few extra hens on the roost at night, they will most likely wake up believing they were there all along.
Can I add new chickens to my flock the day I bring them home?
New chickens should always be quarantined for a set amount of time before adding to an existing flock. This will allow you time to see if they are healthy and carry no diseases that can infect your entire flock.
Adding new hens to a coop – Step by step
Doing things slowly is the best way to make the introductions to an established flock. This approach will be less stressful for you and all the birds involved.
1. Pre-Introduction Preparations
• If you purchase grown hens, quarantine them for at least 30 days to ensure they are healthy. During that time, watch them closely, looking for signs of disease, injury, or infection.
This time will allow them to acclimate to you and the food you feed the flock.
• If you purchase chicks, you will need to keep them separated until they are an age that can withstand the rest of the coop and the temperatures in your area. This is usually around 12 weeks of age.
If you need a step-up home for your chicks until they are ready, read our guide on DIY Housing When Chicks Outgrow Their Home.
2. Prepare the Coop for the increased size of your flock.
• Before the introduction day, clean and prepare the coop with fresh bedding and multiple feeding and watering stations to reduce competition.
• Sometimes, chickens can get a little aggressive toward new birds. To help you can add in a few distractions to the coop and run. This will allow everyone a chance to get away from a hen that they feel is threatening to them.
3. Adding new birds
• If you are adding new birds during the day, sprinkle a few treats or veggie scraps. This will help to keep everyone less focused on the new arrivals.
• Place each bird in the coop or run, waiting a few minutes for things to settle before adding another.
• Animals can sense stress in us, even chickens. If things start to get tense it is important you keep your cool. This will help keep the temperament of the flock calmer.
4. Monitor
• Watch the interactions closely in the beginning for signs of aggression or bullying. Just because things start out fine doesn’t mean it’s smooth sailing going forward.
Keep an eye on the entire flock to ensure no injuries.
• If you see hen pecking happening, separate either the aggressor or the victim from the flock. This will help everyone calm down and heal before you try things again.
SLCG Pro Tip: Chickens have a natural attraction to blood. I am not sure if it’s the taste or the color, but they will peck at a bleeding area, many times, following the hen around the coop.
This can cause a small cut to become more severe quickly. For this reason, you will want to treat any injuries quickly to deter pecking from taking place.
Blu-Kote is a spray we like to have on hand that is purple in color and will treat the wound.
• Ensure all birds are eating and drinking at chore time. Many times, when you see a chicken not eating, this is a big clue that there is something going on.
5. Chicken Stress
Chickens can be stressed by sudden environmental changes, social upheavals, or health issues. There are clues to watch for so you can catch things before they get out of hand.
If you have a chicken that is showing signs of stress you may want to remove them for a few days to allow them time to regain their strength.
- Loose feathers in the coop or run.
- Birds with missing feathers.
- Hens staying away from the flock.
- Pause in egg-laying.
How can you quarantine a stressed chicken?
We like to use a small dog crate for any hen or rooster that needs our care. Add a layer of bedding, water, and feed so they can rest without risk of injury from other flock members.
Usually, just a day or two is all you need to help strengthen your hen or rooster, allowing them to go back to the flock without issue.
Petmate Aspen Pet Traditional Kennel, 28
Carlson Pet Products SECURE AND FOLDABLE Single Door Metal Dog Crate, Small, 24.0Petmate Vari Dog Kennel 24
Clues to watch for in a flock
The more you know your chickens when they are healthy and happy, the more obvious it will be when things are just not right.
Clue #1. Sounds
Be aware of the sounds your chickens make when they are relaxed and calm. Yes, there is a difference between a natural “cluck, cluck” and a alarming “screech” call.
Clue #2. Body Language
Another sign your birds will give is body language. A hunched bird or a drooping bird is a sign there is something going on.
Clue #3. Eating
If you ever seen chickens staying back while the rest of the flock is eating, this is a clue there is something going on with that bird.
Know your chickens so you can catch things quickly before they get out of hand.
Flock Dynamics
Understanding the dynamics of a chicken coop will help you to notice better when things are off so you can quickly intervene if necessary.
Pecking Order
The pecking order in a flock plays a crucial role and one that is good to understand as an owner. You will usually see the order clearly on the roost at night.
If you have a multi-level roost, the more dominant birds will usually be at the top, with the lower-ranking hens lower down.
Hierarchy
When adding in new hens, there will be squabbles as the order is reestablished. These are normal and part of the integration process, meaning you will want to leave them alone to work themselves out. Only intervene if things start to get out of hand.
Rules of Order
As the integrations happen, always provide more than one source of food and water to avoid conflict over resources.
It can take time for things to play out and settle, and that might be the hardest part as an owner. Allow things to progress for the time that is needed and only step in if necessary.
Adding at night
As I mentioned, we prefer adding our chickens to the flock after dark. This can help to reduce the chance of daytime aggression and give them a non-threatening environment to wake up to.
How it works:
- After dark, carry in your new chickens one at a time and place them on the roost.
- Do not worry if your other chickens move or cluck, this is natural.
- Continue adding hens onto the roost until everyone is in the coop.
- In the morning, spend some time with the flock to monitor the interactions.
- Only step in if necessary.
Adding at night will not eliminate battles, but it will cut down on them, making things less stressful for the flock and you.
Chicken Care CalendarChicken Guide and Record JournalChicken Coop and Run Bundle
Integrating new chickens into an existing flock is more than just logistics; it’s also a chance to see nature in action.
With these tips on introducing new chickens to your flock, you can grow a coop that is peaceful and healthy, giving you a backyard chicken setup that will grow with you and your family.
