Introducing New Chicks to Older Hens

Wilson · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:27 pm

Hi there,

What is the best way to introduce new chicks to my two older hens?

Thank you

greenaus · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:36 pm

"Hens meet chicks. Chicks meet hens. Now, don't fight."

Didn't work for me either. :lol:

Peter16 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:38 pm

Put the new girls in a cage in their run so they can first meet like that, do this for a couple of days if possible,

then introduce them at night, when the older girls are too tired to care

Muscovy J · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:09 pm

peters right night time is the best

GeoffChook · **Joined:** Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:07 am **Posts:** 351

jase wrote:

peters right night time is the best

Only as long as you get up early in the morning. Come daybreak you're going to have a noisy war going on, with the weakest getting hammered and the other newbies in hiding.

We have just added three more to our existing three, and it gets heavy at times with some serious punishment being handed out. I have split the side yard in two, and have a tractor each end. (One of them will be on ebay as soon as the ladies sort their differences).

After pandemonium this morning at 5:30AM we have three in each Tractor tonight.

I open the whole yard for them to fossick in during the day and monitor the situation by the noise. I have separated the two groups several times today, with one of the newbies getting the most punishment.

Chook psychology ain't easy. All suggestions welcome.

Deans' Poultry · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 8:31 pm

How old are the chicks?

Personally speaking,i don't put young chicks with older hens. It's too easy for them to get hurt. Even if there are obstacles to hide in or behind-they've gotta come out sometime. They can also easily pick up diseases from the hens that their immunity simply hasn't built up enough resistence to fight.

If you 'must put put them in the same cage' consider petes idea of putting them in a large cage until they are old enough to handle some abuse from the hen. Maybe petition some of the pen to house the chicks?, but being in the same area will make them volunerable to disease.

If it were me, i'd be building them a new home. It really doesn't need to be that flash. As long as its big enough to house as many chicks as you have (or intend getting in the future), is weather and draft proof with sufficient ventilation to allow fresh air flow and able to be moved onto fresh grass to pick at when needed. I'd be keeping them in this until there are a minimum of 8 weeks of age depending on breed.
I don't put pullets in with adult hens until they are point of lay.

Cheers
Darren

(edit's for stuff i forgot :-D

)

Wilson · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:09 am

Thanks guys.

They are all Pekin Bantams (new babies & older hens).
The babies are about 8 weeks.
We have been keeping them seperate from the other two and just introducing to each other when we are around to scoop the babies up.
The older hens are REALLY nasty!!
There is one baby in particular that they really don't like...poor little miss.

GeoffChook · **Joined:** Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:07 am **Posts:** 351

Wilson wrote:

Thanks guys.
<SNIP>
The older hens are REALLY nasty!!
There is one baby in particular that they really don't like...poor little miss.

Why is that? It seems that there is always one they pick on and nasty with it. I've just put Roast in jail (under a milk crate with a brick on it) for a while as I'm sick of her hammering one of the newbies. Now Roast is out of it peace has returned.

She'll get an introduction to the Weber if she keeps this up ...

Peter16 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:21 pm

IMHO 8 weeks is still a bit young,

jo-chicken · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:37 pm

I would advise allowing them to grow up a little more before introducing them unless you have an acre and lots of bushes for hiding places. At about 10-12 weeks try. Someone had a really good suggestion the other day, take one of the bigger hens and put her in with younger ones and allow two days of time together then put them all in big pen. I tend to introduce them in the morning (Sorry to be different) on a day that I will be home and at exactly the same time I feed the bigger hens, but not too much, but something they really like. Then at a couple of other times throughout the day I give them food they wll like, each time taking the attention off the little ones. Make sure you have fed the little ones in the morning. Have two or three places where there is standard grain or whatever you give them and water available to all, The little ones will stay out of the way and the big ones will get used to them being there but take the attention off them by giving food, otherwise the big ones will think it amusing and make quite a point of showing them who is boss. For the first few nights go down at dusk to chook pen and help the little ones in to where you want them roosting. This all works for me, as I am always introducing new ones. The smaller the space you have the older the babies will have to be before you introduce (I have 25sqm- to give you an idea).

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