A few weeks ago, we talked about how we were going to be introducing new pullets to our original chicken flock. Since they’ve had some time to acclimate to one another, we wanted to take time this week to discuss how the transition went and what we’ve learned along the way. Whether you’re looking to grow your flock with some new pullets or you’re just getting started raising chickens, let’s dive into it!
How We Introduced Them
One of the most important things to remember when introducing new pullets to an existing chicken flock is that there is a real pecking order. If you’re not careful in how you introduce them, you could find the new hens being picked on. And despite how cute they appear, chickens can be pretty vicious. This is why we took our time introducing the pullets to our existing flock of hens.
We went about this by getting the largest dog crate we could find on Amazon. When the pullets were large enough to go outside, we put them in this dog crate and placed the crate inside our chicken run. This concept allowed us to have the pullets right there in the middle of the run. In effect, we allowed the older hens to meet the younger ones without risk of them interacting directly. And, we kept this setup for a few weeks.
Letting them Into the Flock
After a few weeks of getting acclimated, it was time to let the younger hens loose. So, we opened up the crate and let them join the flock. For the first couple days, we noticed the younger chickens tended to keep to themselves. In fact, we found when the older chickens were eating, the younger ones would congregate elsewhere. But, when the older hens ran around the run, the younger ones would find their way to the food and water.
While this was better than a full fight breaking out, it wasn’t what we had hoped for. Fortunately, it didn’t last too long. In fact, we found they were co-mingling in less than a week. In other words, the introduction seemed to work out quite well. And, we’re happy to say our flock has expanded to include a total of 11 hens and our lone rooster, Butters.
Building Your Own Chicken Flock
If you’re looking to get into chickens, you may want to consider starting out with more than you think you need. In hindsight, we likely would have been better off starting with a dozen pullets instead of getting six at a time. That way, we could have avoided the introductory period and the extra time investment of caring for two separate flocks. Regardless, we got some good experience and can say confidently that this second time around raising pullets was much easier than the first.
Looking to get started with chickens of your own? Have a different way you introduce new pullets to the flock? Let us know in the comments below! Until next time, we’ll see you around the homestead!