Raising Chickens 101: Introducing the New Birds on the Block



To raise chickens, there are procedures and adaptations to attend to. One very good instance is introducing a group of new birds to a flock of old birds. Its like managing to merge two restaurants when one is Italian and the other is Chinese. Stress will come along. And that is not an assumption but a fact.

Many poultry owners who think that theyre ready to expand their chicken farm make certain measures of importing birds that came or was purchased from the outside, while others take their time and wait for hens to hatch their eggs. Adding new breeds into your peaceful and comfortable neighborhood of chickens can put a quite a rumble between the old and the new.

Admit it, nobody likes newcomers. And adding these newcomers into a flock of hens or roosters that already have certain territories inside their coop can be big mess. The newcomers will try to take their place too, and the oldies will try their best to protect their area.

Fret not, for this kind of attitude and feud lasts for only a couple of days. Adaptation can now take place. You cant avoid this kind of predicament from rising but you can do certain adjustments that can make all of you happy and stress-free.

There are numerous peace-making strategies to help both parties adjust with each other. Isnt it nice to see your new and old birds in one space without having to stop them from pecking one another?

One very good strategy is to let them see each other without having any physical contact. How? If you have a run (which is basically attached to the coop), you could put your old chickens there and then put a border (chicken wire) between the run and the coop. Put your new chickens inside the coop. This way, they are able to see each other minus the harm. Be sure that both parties have access to sufficient food and water. You can do this for about a week.

As transition day comes, that will be a week after the slight introduction, you can now join them in one area. You can transfer the newcomers to the resident flocks territory during the night when all the birds are sleeping. Upon waking up, the old chickens will notice the new ones and they will, at any point, try to start a fight but will not because they are too groggy to initiate it. Not a strategy that has been proven effective but its worth the trying.

Distraction techniques are always effective in some way. This can alleviate tactics of war coming from the resident chickens. If you dont do this, the old hens will chase the newcomers till all their feathers come off. That would be devastating.

Some of the distracting techniques are:

a. Cabbage heads can do the trick. By hanging a piece of whole cabbage just above their head, chickens will reach it until everything is finished. That is, if they dont get exhausted by jumping to it and reaching it.

b. Make the pursuit an obstacle for the pursuing party. Add large branches inside the run and coop.

c. Let them run around at a wider and freer range. The oldies will be so thrilled to dig for grubs and insects they wouldnt even notice that there are newcomers roaming around.




Comments

*Name:
*Email:
Website URL:
Title / Subject:
Hide my email
*Comments:
*
 



Menu


Raising Chicken Articles

Top 5 Reasons Why To Raise Chickens
Raising Chickens 101: Introducing The New Birds On The Block
Raising Tips: Gearing Up For Chickens
Chicken Raising Terms From N - W
Raising Chickens: Pros And Cons
Choosing A Chicken Breed To Raise
Raising The Not So Grown Up Chickens
Raising Chicken Precautions During Winter And Summer
Raising Chicks Before Chickens
Raising Chicken Tips: How To Clip Their Wings
Gathering The Right Materials Before Building The Pen
Raising Tips: How To Choose A Chicken Breed
Raising Chicken Tips: Baby Poultry Brooding Plan For The Floor
Expectations On Raising Baby Chickens
Raising Tips: Give Your Chicken Treats
Important Information On Feeding Raised Chickens
Hints For Hatching And Raising Chickens Out Of Eggs
Proper Construction Of A Pen Suitable For Raising Chickens
Raising Chicken Tips: How To Prevent The Spread Of Bird Flu
Raising Chicken Tips: Requirements For Building A Coop
Hatched Chicks: Raising To Dos
Chicken Raising Terms From B - M
Keeping Your Chicken Healthy While Raising Them
Raising Tips: What To Do When The Chicks Arrive






Raising Chicken Articles


Chicken Raising Terms From B - M Familiarize yourself with these terms to get a hold of chicken..


Hints For Hatching And Raising Chickens Out Of Eggs As a poultry raiser, you have to know that from the moment they were lain,..


Expectations On Raising Baby Chickens Growing chicks to chickens is hard work but is quite fulfilling, especially when..


Bird Flu: A Chicken Raisers Nightmare Since its outbreak, every poultry owner had become aware of the consequences..



Related Videos:

Related News:

 
Former Egg Farm Employees Say Their Complaints Were Ignored: Report - BusinessWeek

    

Boston Globe

Former Egg Farm Employees Say Their Complaints Were Ignored: Report
BusinessWeek
The two workers, employed at Wright County Egg facilities, said they reported problems such as leaking manure and dead chickens to US Department of ...
Former egg farm workers say complaints ignoredThe Associated Press
Contaminated egg recall could benefit consumersGolden Gate [X]Press
Egg Graders at Iowa Farms Given “F” For Failure to Report ProblemsFairWarning (blog)
Pegasus News -Santa Rosa Press Democrat -Green Bay Press Gazette
all 1,570 news articles »



Some cities balk at 'urban' chicken roosts - St. Cloud Times

    

Some cities balk at 'urban' chicken roosts
St. Cloud Times
Krey has been raising chickens since April. But when one of his neighbors reported his small coop, he learned that backyard chickens were prohibited by city ...

and more »