Introducing New Birds to Flock

silver duckwing · **Posted:** Wed May 21, 2008 6:35 am

Hi, I've bought two bantams. None of my birds are huge, but I'm a bit nervous about letting tham in with the established group.
My henhouse can be divided, so at the mo I have the littlies in one side and the door inbetween shut. They've all been sussing each other out for a few days now and the initial excitement is wearing off but I'm still nervous about mixing them. Also, as the bantams are too small to reach the big perch, do I make them one of their own down lower and would that automatically put them lower in the peckig order? Or do I make another cute little ladder and let them all sleep together?
Any advice would be great. Thanks

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Wed May 21, 2008 7:44 am

Hi silver duckwing!

Have you had the new ones quarantined before to make sure they don't have any diseases/parasites that they may introduce?

As long as the new bantams have somewhere that they can get away from the others when they are introduced they should be okay. Do they get to free-range at all? That's the easiest way because then they just blend in when they feel like it. If not, just leave the adjoining door in your pen open so they can at least have a bit more room to hide.

Some people add new members during the night so that the flock wakes up with them. I'm not an early riser :oops:

, so prefer to put mine together during the day so I can watch them all for a while.

My little flock has been built a couple of chooks at a time and I've had no major problems with the new ones fitting in, with the exception of new adult roosters with attitude which won't accept that my little lavender pekin boy is the boss. I only have one like this currently and he will have to stay out of the main flock. One other little issue I've had is that two of the new battery hens that I put with the flock will still tend to stick to themselves a bit, and refuse to go to sleep in the hen house. I do have to carry them out from under a bush and into the hen house each night. :roll:

But no major fights/bullying yet.

What sexes are your birds?

My bantams all use a ladder quite happily - I would also be happy to put in a lower perch. I'm not sure how much notice they do take of perch height as far as pecking order - maybe someone else has experience regarding that.

Good luck!!

Deb :-D

silver duckwing · **Posted:** Wed May 21, 2008 5:53 pm

Thanks Deb,
I made myself a nice cuppa, put a chair in the run, opened the door and sat down to watch. There was a bit of pecking, but nothing too fierce (just "tasting" as the kids would say). The rooster did his sideways macho chicken dance and obviously impressed the ladies; he's now being followed around by a tiny Wyandotte who thinks he's awesome. Very funny, and a relief. I was really quite worried about the size difference. I've provided access to the high perch and they can still reach the lower one where they've slept so far. Thanks for the advice.

I had ISA browns I often carried to bed one by one when they fell asleep in the director's chairs on the front porch, in the car, or under the lavender bushes. :roll:

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Wed May 21, 2008 8:57 pm

Okay, so it's an ISA brown thing! :roll:

Glad it worked out with your new ones. I love your description of the "sideways macho chicken dance"!!!!! :lol:

I introduced my 9 week old bantams to the flock today and all was well, however I've had a hectic afternoon with the kids and got home at 5.30 in the dark to see the little ones all huddled outside next to the plastic tub I carried them out in. I forgot they didn't know where their bed is now, and that was the most familiar thing they could see. :oops:

They're snug in bed now.

Deb :-D

silver duckwing · **Posted:** Thu May 22, 2008 10:25 am

So what did you do? Physically place them on the perch? My husband thinks I've gone mad, making tiny ladders for tiny chickens.

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Thu May 22, 2008 8:45 pm

Sorry silver duckwing, I did put them back into a separate pen for the night! I should have mentioned that. They are outside with the "big kids" for the day and then back in their own little pen (still with a lamp, cause I'm a softie) for the night.

I've found that the other young ones I've put out with the others before the weather got so cold just learned to follow the flock up the ladder after a few nights. The first two or three nights I had to pick them up and put them up the top, but then they got the hang of it.

On the same note, the ISA brown ex-battery girl who has joined the flock successfully limped her way up the ladder tonight with the others and was proudly drinking from the waterer up on the top level! What a girl! The other two put themselves to bed under the bush again. :roll:

Deb

frasers_zoo · **Posted:** Thu May 22, 2008 9:52 pm

don't worry too much about the height of a perch for bantams. The majority of them are good fliers :shock:

Our main perches are about 6ft or so from the floor and they all do the 'step up' to them no worries. They have a shelf which is about 2 1/2ft from the floor, then a small perch about 1ft from that which then lets them go up to the main perch. I've got young chicks making 'flights' up to perches 2ft off the ground already!
The most dominant birds will take the highest perch and the others sort themselves out according to the pecking order.
Moving chickens to their proper beds - I've done it many times with ones that I have introduced to the big pen. They keep wanting to go back to the 'baby' pen!
You didn't mention what breed they are. Or are they a heinz 58 special? :lol:

silver duckwing · **Posted:** Fri May 23, 2008 4:34 pm

Hi Fraser's zoo
You're right about the bantams - I went out to check on them and there they were, snuggled up with the big kids on the main perch. My daughter said she saw them just fly on up!
The new ones are a Wyandotte bantam and a Minorca bantam. My rooster is a lavender Araucana, and I have a Silver Spangled Hamberg/Wyandotte cross and a SSH/Modern Game cross. Two Araucana pullets on the way, and my son wants a silkie for a pet, which would be handy for a broody, too. Then we're done until we have more room. Maybe.

Deb, my ISA's were never battery hens, and even after a few years would sleep anywhere. Not always, but on a whim! The kids got used to playing Night-time Hunt the Chicken before bed.

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