Short answer: Introduce new birds to a flock once their quarantine is finished, by matching their size and age to the flock, letting both groups see each other through wire for three to seven days, and then mixing them at dusk when the birds are settling to roost. Give the newcomers their own feeder and drinker placed where they can reach them. Expect some pecking, and treat a bleeding bird or one kept off the feed as a problem to act on the same day.
Key takeaways
- Match newcomers to the flock's size and age where you can, because a big gap is what turns pecking into bullying.
- Let the two groups see each other through wire for three to seven days before they share a pen.
- Mix the birds at dusk, after feeding, so the flock wakes up as one group in its new arrangement.
- Add a second feeder and drinker for the first week, placed away from the main station so the newcomers can eat in peace.
- Take out a bird that is bleeding or cannot reach feed, and deal with it the same day.
The first morning after the new birds go in
The first sign of trouble is rarely on the first day. It is usually on the second morning, when a hen has a bald patch on her back or a newcomer is standing alone at the far end of the house with her feathers puffed out. By then the flock has already decided who is who, and your job is to limit the damage while the order settles.
Most of the pecking you will see is normal. Birds establish rank by pecking, and a newcomer will be pecked more than she pecks back. What you are trying to prevent is the sort of pecking that draws blood, that keeps one bird from the feeder, or that carries on for days after the rest of the flock has settled. That is the point where a manageable adjustment turns into a loss.
The rest of this article is the routine we use to keep that adjustment small. It assumes the new birds have already finished their quarantine. If they have not, stop here and read our quarantine guide first, because no mixing plan fixes a bird that is carrying disease into the flock.
Check the birds are ready before you mix anything
This article does not repeat the quarantine period. Your quarantine guide covers how long to keep new birds apart and what to watch for. Before you plan a mixing day, you should be able to say yes to five simple questions about the newcomers.
- Are the eyes clear, the nostrils dry and the breathing quiet, with no sneezing or head shaking?
- Are the droppings normal in colour and firmness, with no blood or green watery patches?
- Is each bird eating and drinking on her own, without being pushed away from the feeder?
- Are the birds on the vaccination schedule your vet has set for your flock, with the records to show it?
- Has nothing gone wrong in the quarantine pen for the full period you agreed with your vet?
If any answer is no, keep the newcomers apart and talk to your vet. Mixing a sick bird into a healthy flock to save the trouble of a second pen is the most expensive shortcut on a farm. Our isolation and sick bay guide shows how to set up a second pen that is good enough for the job.
Why the pecking order is what you are really managing
A flock is not a group of equals. It is a set of relationships, and every bird knows roughly where she stands. The hens at the top eat first, drink first and roost on the best perch. The hens at the bottom wait, and some of them stop eating altogether if the pressure is strong enough.
A newcomer enters at the bottom of that order, however big or healthy she is. The flock will test her, and the test is usually short. If the newcomer is confident and of similar size, she will fight her way up a little and then stop. If she is small, timid or alone, the test goes on, and that is where the wounds come from.
Cockerels are the exception. Two cockerels in one pen will fight for the top spot, often until one of them is badly hurt. That is why cockerels should not be added to a flock that already has one, and why a single new cockerel usually needs its own pen. Our guide to cannibalism and feather pecking covers what happens when the pecking tips over into something worse.
Match sizes and ages before you mix anything
The single biggest decision is not the night you mix the birds. It is which birds you mix together. Here is how the risk looks for the pairings we see most often.
| Newcomer against the flock | Risk of bullying | What we would do |
|---|---|---|
| Similar size and age, for example a point-of-lay pullet into a flock of pullets of the same age | Low | Partition for three to five days, then mix at dusk |
| Newcomers a little smaller or younger than the flock | Medium | Partition for five to seven days and watch the feeder every morning |
| A small group of older hens into a flock of young pullets | Medium to high | Two extra feeders and drinkers, and a close look on day two |
| Chicks or growers into a flock of adult hens | High | Keep them apart until they are close in size, rather than trying to mix now |
| One bird added to a flock of several | Very high | Add at least two of the same age, or avoid adding a single bird |
| A new cockerel into a flock with a resident cockerel | Very high | Do not mix. Keep a separate pen for the newcomer. |
The table is the rule we use when a customer asks whether a new group can go in with the old. If the answer lands in the high or very high rows, we would rather the customer waited or built a second pen than tried to save a week.
Notice what happens with a single bird. She has nobody to share the attention, and the flock can focus on her. Adding two birds of the same age, or three, spreads the pecking across the newcomers and gives them each other for company at the feeder. It is the cheapest protection you can buy.
The wire partition week: see, but do not touch
Before the birds share a pen, let them see each other. Divide the house or a corner of it with a sturdy wire partition, such as welded mesh on a timber frame, tall enough that the birds cannot jump over it and close enough at the base that no chick or small pullet can slip through. The newcomers go on one side, the flock on the other.
Leave the partition in place for three to seven days, depending on how well matched the groups are. Both sides should be fed and watered at the same times. Each group will stare, call and posture through the wire. This is normal, and it is the point. By the time the partition comes out, the birds already know what each other looks like, so the first meeting is less of a fight.
Use the partition week to check the newcomers properly. Watch them eat, watch them drink and watch them roost. A bird that stands in the corner for two days and refuses the feeder is not ready, whatever the quarantine record says.
On a farm with several sheds, you can use a partition through a gap in the wall between two pens. The principle is the same. The birds should be able to see, hear and smell each other without being able to touch.
Choosing the night and moving the birds quietly
Mix the birds at dusk, once the flock has fed and is settling onto the perches. Birds that are already on the roost are less likely to fight, and they cannot easily find the corner to run to. When you wake the flock up the next morning, they are all in the same space and the new arrangement starts from scratch for everyone.
Do not mix at midday in the heat, and do not do it in the middle of the harmattan night when the air is cold and the birds are slow to settle. In the rains, a damp, dark evening is fine as long as the house is dry. The one thing to avoid is a rushed evening when the feed has not been given and the flock is restless.
Catch the newcomers quietly and carry them in small numbers, with a hand under the body and the wings held close. Our guide to catching and handling chickens covers the method. Put each bird on the roost gently, and move on to the next. Do not chase them around the house in front of the flock.
Keep the lights low. Birds that are startled in bright light scatter and crash into walls. A torch with a red or dim setting is enough to see what you are doing.
Feeders, drinkers and where the newcomers actually eat
Most of the pecking in a new mix happens at the feeder and the drinker, because that is where the flock gathers and where rank is decided. Two things will help you more than any other measure: more stations and better placement.
Add a second feeder and a second drinker for the first week. Put the newcomers' stations at the edge of the house, away from the main ones, but within easy reach. A bird that can get to food without walking through the flock will eat. A bird that has to pass the bullies to reach the feeder will often give up. Scatter a little feed on the floor near the edge stations for the first two or three days, so the newcomers have an easy meal while they find their feet.
Do not hide the feed. Some farmers push the new birds into a dark corner with a bowl, thinking they will be left alone. The result is birds that never learn where the feed is and lose weight. Keep the stations open, visible and clean.
The checklist below is the set-up we recommend before the mixing night.
- A second feeder and drinker, placed at the edge of the pen and filled before the birds go in
- Enough perch space for every bird, including the newcomers, with no bird forced to sit on the floor
- A dim light or red torch ready for the catching and the roosting
- Clean litter in the corners where the newcomers will sleep, not just in the middle
- A note on the record sheet of the date, the number of birds, and where they were sourced
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The first week, day by day, and what to do at each stop
The first week is when you learn most. Look at the birds at the same times each day and keep a short note. The table gives the routine we follow.
| When | What to look for | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Morning of day 1 | Count all the birds, including the newcomers, before anyone leaves the house | If a bird is missing, search the house before you assume the worst |
| Midday of day 1 | Pecking at the head or vent, and any blood | Take out a bleeding bird at once, clean the wound and rest her |
| Morning of day 2 | Newcomers at the feeder, and whether the flock has stopped chasing | Top up the edge feeders and check for birds with ruffled, lonely looks |
| Days 3 to 4 | Weight, droppings and whether each newcomer is eating normally | Weigh a sample if you can, and note anyone who is falling behind |
| Day 7 | Whether the flock has settled into a stable order with less chasing | Return to the normal feeder layout if things are calm |
The point of the table is to make sure one bird is not missed for a week. A bird that is never found, because nobody counted her, is the one that turns up dead in the corner with her crop empty.
If the chasing has not eased by the end of the week, do not wait for it to fix itself. Separate the most aggressive bird for a few days, or split the pen again for another partition week. Persistent bullying usually means the match was wrong, and the fix is more space or a different bird, not more hope.
Laying hens and the dip in eggs after a move
Introducing new birds usually costs a few eggs, even when the mixing goes well. The move is stressful, the hens are busy sorting out who is who, and the routine of the house changes overnight. Many hens will cut back their laying for a week or two, and then recover.
That dip is normal. What is not normal is a drop that carries on for three weeks, or eggs that get much smaller or shell-less. Those signs point to something else, such as feed that is not reaching the newcomers, a water problem, or disease. Check the feeder and drinker, look at the droppings, and talk to your vet if the drop does not start to reverse.
Record egg numbers every day during the mixing period. You will then know whether a dip is normal or a warning. Without the record, every dip looks like a disaster and every recovery looks like luck.
If you buy your layers from us, the layer day-old chicks page and our guide to chicks, point-of-lay pullets and hatching eggs explain which starting stage suits a new flock and how the timing of lay works out.
Mistakes we see when birds are added in a hurry
Most mixing problems start with a decision made in a hurry. These are the ones that come up again and again.
- Mixing on the day the birds arrive. Fix: give the quarantine period its full course, then add a partition week.
- Dropping a small group into a large flock with no partition. Fix: partition for at least three days, and add two extra feeders.
- Putting the feed in one corner and leaving the newcomers to fight for it. Fix: spread the stations and keep them visible.
- Removing the most aggressive bird and calling the problem solved. Fix: check whether the match was wrong before deciding who is to blame.
- Leaving a bleeding bird with the flock. Fix: take her out, clean the wound and keep her apart until it has closed. Our wound care guide covers the basics.
- Adding a single bird to a large flock and hoping for the best. Fix: add a group, or wait until you have two or three of the same age.
If you are restocking after a loss and planning the new birds around a fresh start, the same rules apply. Our all-in, all-out guide explains why bringing in a whole age group at once is usually easier to manage than trickling birds in over months.
When a newcomer does not settle, and what to do next
Sometimes a bird simply does not fit. She is attacked whenever she goes near the feeder, she never gets up onto the roost, and she loses weight while the others gain. At that point the question is not how to make the flock accept her. It is whether she can be kept safe.
Take her out for a few days. Put her in a pen with feed, water, litter and a perch, and keep her where she can see the flock. Check her every day for weight loss, for wounds and for droppings. If she improves, return her after a week and watch closely. If she goes straight back into trouble, the match is wrong, and the most practical answer is to keep her as a separate bird or to cull her, in consultation with your vet.
The same question applies to a bird that is doing the attacking. If one hen is the cause of every wound, remove her for a period and see whether the pecking drops. Hens are not always the worst aggressors, and the one doing the most damage is not always the one at the top.
A bird that is found dead in the mixing period should be investigated, not simply removed. Our guide to disposing of dead birds covers what to do with the body, and a post-mortem from your vet is worth the cost if you see more than one death.
Questions farmers ask
How do I introduce new chickens to an existing flock?
Finish quarantine first, then match the newcomers to the flock's size and age as closely as you can. Keep both groups behind a wire partition for three to seven days so they can see each other. Mix them at dusk, after feeding, and add a second feeder and drinker for the first week. Watch the flock every morning for blood and for birds that are being kept off the feed.
How long should new birds stay apart before they mix with the flock?
The separation before mixing is the quarantine period, which our quarantine guide covers in detail. After quarantine, a wire partition for a further three to seven days lets the two groups see each other without touching. The exact length depends on how well matched the birds are, and a closer match needs less time.
Why are my hens pecking the new bird?
Pecking is how a flock sets its order, and newcomers always start at the bottom. Normal pecking settles within a few days. Pecking that draws blood, stops a bird from feeding, or carries on past a week means the match is wrong, the feeding stations are too few, or the newcomer is too small or too sick to hold her ground.
Is it better to add one bird or a group?
A group is much better. A single bird has nobody to share the attention, and the flock can focus all its pecking on her. Two or three birds of the same age spread the pressure and keep each other company at the feeder. If you can only add one, expect more trouble and watch her closely.
Can I add a cockerel to a flock that already has one?
Do not mix two cockerels in the same pen. They will fight for the top spot, often until one is badly hurt. Keep the newcomer in a separate pen while you decide. Most keepers run one cockerel for every eight to twelve hens, so a second cockerel usually belongs in a different pen or a different flock.
Why did my hens stop laying after new birds came in?
A dip in laying of a week or two is common after a move, because the hens are stressed and the routine has changed. Record egg numbers every day. If the drop continues for three weeks, or the eggs become smaller or shell-less, check the feeder, the drinker and the droppings, and speak to your vet.
What should I do if a new bird is bleeding?
Take her out of the pen straight away. Clean the wound with clean water and keep her apart until it has closed and she is eating normally. Check the flock for the bird doing the pecking, and look at whether the match was right. If more than one bird is wounded, call your vet to rule out disease.
