Y ou already have your own small flock and you are thinking to join it a few more chickens. Now you are worrying how the new one will react to the old one , but also how the old one will react to the new one?
You don’t have to think that much, as the chickens are the animals that usually get along well, but as with everything else before introducing new chickens in your flock, pay attention on a few important things..
No matter you are bringing smaller sizes chickens, because of their characteristics the bigger one, won’t hurt the smaller one, but it is always recommended to buy the breed that is similar by its look and character in order to escape potential problems.So if you have Rhode Island Reds you can bring more of New Hampshire Reds, but you should definitely stay away from large crested Polish or submissive Faveolles.
If there is obvious size difference among the chickens that are already there and the ones you are introducing, take care that you set the waterers and the feeders on a proper high, so that the small hens don’t have problem to reach the installed ones.
If you have enough place and conditions it is always more than useful to separate the new once at least for a months, especially if you are bringing them from someone else. That is how long flock needs to adapt to a new environment and to build up their immune system and also how long it is needed to manifest different kind of diseases that could be caught.
On the behavior of chickens influence the fact how much space they have in your backyards. This is even more important if you are planning to mix different breeds as they usually stick to their groups and needs to have their own room. So we advise, to think twice before deciding which breeds you plan to combine, and how many of new chickens your backyard can host.
While making this decision, just have in mind, the more room your chickens have, the happier they will be!
