# Flock Integration Questions



## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

I am ordering a new pullet today, because we are rehoming Wigwam. He is simply too much for my small flock and he is a nuisance to anyone who visits the coop or lives next door. I am sorry that I have to do this and I really have become fond of the little guy, but we can't keep him anymore.
There is two breeds I can choose from that I have narrowed it down to. A Buff Orpington, as I had mentioned in earlier threads, and another Easter Egger/Ameraucana. They are back in stock, apparently. I love Easter Egger's egg color, hardiness, and its pattern. However, based on my experiences with Wigwam, raising them from hatch is the only way to connect with them, or else they will be scared of you the rest of their life.
Buff Orpingtons are mostly cold hardy and have okay laying, but I heard they are just the sweetest things ever. I love how fluffy they are as well!
I also have a few integration questions.
1. Should I remove Wigwam and replace him immediately with the new chicken, or should I wait until the chickens are used to Wigwam being gone and then integrate the new chicken? (I take Wigwam away from the flock quite frequently, and the girls don't seem to mind at all. I don't think they like him all that much.)
2. Should the new chicken sleep in a crate in the laundry room and during the day be placed in the run in a cage so the chickens can get used to her? Or is there any other method?
3. This chicken will most likely be the same age as my current flock. What kind of problems can I expect with integration?

Thank you all and please be sure to tell me your ideas/opinions.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Give Wigwam time to reach about 1 y o,if you can.Then he should quiet down.Other than that whatever you want is open.The only thing is if you get older chickens you'll need to quarantine the new for 30 days to make sure the new doesn't spread diseases to your original flock.Good luck!!!


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

Get rid of the rooster.Your hens will be so happy with him gone.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

chickenqueen said:


> Give Wigwam time to reach about 1 y o,if you can.Then he should quiet down.Other than that whatever you want is open.The only thing is if you get older chickens you'll need to quarantine the new for 30 days to make sure the new doesn't spread diseases to your original flock.Good luck!!!


Should I put the new pullet in a cage in the porch for that time so she can be quarantined, then would I put her with the flock in the cage for a few days, THEN would I let her be with them, out of the cage?


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

Nm156 said:


> Get rid of the rooster.Your hens will be so happy with him gone.


Should I take Wigwam out and at the same time put the new pullet in?


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

Nm156 said:


> Get rid of the rooster.Your hens will be so happy with him gone.


One more question, sorry. Should I get the Buff Orpington or the Easter Egger?


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Nm is right,the hens can live happily ever after without a rooster and still lay eggs but hens have been known to act like roos if none are present,including crowing.I personally love roosters and always have at least one.They do play important functions in a flock.You have to do what is best for all involved and follow the laws.As for Orpington or EE,I have both and both have their own personality but the Orpington is a very docile bird where EE's are a little more skittish.Have you considered a Cochin?They're great big feathered balls of love and very docile.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

chickenqueen said:


> Nm is right,the hens can live happily ever after without a rooster and still lay eggs but hens have been known to act like roos if none are present,including crowing.I personally love roosters and always have at least one.They do play important functions in a flock.You have to do what is best for all involved and follow the laws.As for Orpington or EE,I have both and both have their own personality but the Orpington is a very docile bird where EE's are a little more skittish.Have you considered a Cochin?They're great big feathered balls of love and very docile.


I know what Cochins are! They are very pretty, aren't they? They look so soft. However, I have been searching for a hatchery that sells started pullets in this season, and I have only found one - Murray McMurray Hatchery. My friend gets her batches of chicks from there.
They do not carry the Cochin breed. They do have EEs and Orpingtons, though. I am looking for a bird that is very soft and nice, but I really do love the colored eggs of the EEs. Orpingtons don't lay as well, but we have a Barred Rock and an Australorp, so our egg production rates shouldn't be bad. I also really like Rhode Island Reds. For a small flock, which do you recommend?


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

I'd get something with similar colors of your existing flock.No red birds...


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

Nm156 said:


> I'd get something with similar colors of your existing flock.No red birds...


Ok. Which is easier and nicer to keep? Buffs or Ameraucanas?


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

I remember when I got my first flock.
7 reds
5 Dom
2 BR
1 BO
They all used to bully the one lone blonde chick.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

If you are getting a point of lay pullet from a hatchery, there is no need to quarantine it.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

dawg53 said:


> If you are getting a point of lay pullet from a hatchery, there is no need to quarantine it.


Ahh, thank goodness. I may give her a few days to adjust, then integrate her. What do you say... RIR, Buff, or EE?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Personally I'd rather have a RIR than the other two. It's really your choice though.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I don't know who told you Buff Orpingtons are fair layers. They out lay easter eggers by far. My first buff laid 366 eggs the first year. Yes, 2 one day. 

It doesn't matter which comes and goes first and how long in between. Rehome Wigwam, change user name, and order pullet. Like my hens, if Wigwam is a nuisance, the hens won't even know he's gone, they will just see life got better. My first Buff was an automatic top hen who never needed to nip at anyone. 

I have a nuisance rooster. I think he's been making it hard for one hen to get to the food and when he eats, she can't come near the bowl or he pecks at her. Last night I noticed she was scary skinny so much that I ran out at 10pm and tube fed her just because I got scared. Today the girls got a mash all to themselves.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

seminolewind said:


> I don't know who told you Buff Orpingtons are fair layers. They out lay easter eggers by far. My first buff laid 366 eggs the first year. Yes, 2 one day.
> 
> It doesn't matter which comes and goes first and how long in between. Rehome Wigwam, change user name, and order pullet. Like my hens, if Wigwam is a nuisance, the hens won't even know he's gone, they will just see life got better. My first Buff was an automatic top hen who never needed to nip at anyone.
> 
> I have a nuisance rooster. I think he's been making it hard for one hen to get to the food and when he eats, she can't come near the bowl or he pecks at her. Last night I noticed she was scary skinny so much that I ran out at 10pm and tube fed her just because I got scared. Today the girls got a mash all to themselves.


Thank you so much! Every time I search Buff Orpington laying habits, it always comes up with 3 eggs per week. I love Buffs, but will their broodiness get in the way of daily egg pick up? Also, do they have problems with heat as well? It gets in the high 90s in summer, but their coop is in the shade. Buffs are pretty large, so all the other chickens may be a tad smaller when she gets here, which typically intimidates my pullets. Wigwam was top boy as soon as he grew an inch above Atari.
I can tell that you have a preference for Buffs, but are RIRs as friendly as some people say? They are somewhat hard to connect with, from what I've heard.


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

My EEs (Townline) laid more than my BOs.

My Townline BOs have way out preformed my Meyer's BO.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

Nm156 said:


> My EEs laid more than my BOs.


Ah, that's what I thought.
I've also heard things about both chicken breeds:

Easter Egger/Ameraucana
Con: start laying later; around 7 months old.
Con: EEs are hard to connect with if you get them as started pullets and can be flighty/skittish.
Pro: EEs lay pretty eggs/lay more frequently than BOs.

Buff Orpingtons
Con: Buffs tend to go broody (a lot!) and it gets annoying after a while.
Pro: Buffs are very friendly and love to talk to you.


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

Wigwam7 said:


> Ah, that's what I thought.
> I've also heard things about both chicken breeds:
> 
> Easter Egger/Ameraucana
> ...


All hatchery birds/breeds will be different from hatchery to hatchery.
MY BOs aren't friendly,but not mean.
My 4 EEs from Townline stared laying at 15.5 ,18 , 20 and the last started at 32 weeks old.
My Meyer's RIRs have significant more Leghorn features(Production blood) than my Townline RIRs.
MY Townline Silkies lay lots of eggs so far ,but have no feathers on their feet.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

The three BO's I had were from Meyer hatchery. They were average layers, ate alot, never went broody, 2 of the 3 would hop up on my lap for treats and allowed me to cautiously handle them. The third BO had nothing to do with me and was a squawker. She lived for 8 years.
I had one EE from Meyer that was semi friendly and a very good layer. She was the only EE I've owned.
We have horrid heat and humidity during the summer. It took a toll on the BO"S and especially my EE. She would walk around 'honking' due to the high heat. The Leghorn's didnt care for the heat neither which I thought was unusual for the breed. The Leghorn's were from Ideal hatchery.
The RIR's, BR's, Hamburgs, Speckled Sussex's, Light Brahma's and BSL's took the heat in stride and coped very well. The RIR's and BSL's were from Ideal hatchery. The Light Brahma's and Speckled Sussex's were given to me by trustworthy breeders. The Hamburgs and BR's were from Meyer.
I agree with Nm156. Hatchery birds differ from hatchery to hatchery.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Get 2 hens. This way they gave each other as the pecking order can be quite nasty. I personally would not add one hen to an existing flock


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

OK,here's my storyI have 1 BO and 1 RIR,both came to me as adults,the only 2 in my flock I didn't raise from chicks. I found a RIR at a state park in August 2014.She was use to people so I assumed she was a child's Easter pet as she insisted on being in the house,which was hard to break.She is a very good hen, friendly and lays well she's about the size of the EE's.Then there's the BO,she deflected to my flock from next door.Not only is she beautiful to look at but she's pretty smart.She made her way in the coop at night the day she showed up.Her siblings get out occasionally and come to my yard but no others made their way to my coop.She lays nice large brown eggs and for 2 yrs has NEVER gone broody.Plus,she knows her name,Buffy(I know,real original!!) and "talks" to me.If I had to choose,I'd take the Buff because I like the big, fluffy, smart,talking chickens.PS-neither had problems integrating into my flock even though both were single breeds compared to my established flock but most are Cochins and Cochin/EE mix and are docile.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

chickenqueen said:


> OK,here's my storyI have 1 BO and 1 RIR,both came to me as adults,the only 2 in my flock I didn't raise from chicks. I found a RIR at a state park in August 2014.She was use to people so I assumed she was a child's Easter pet as she insisted on being in the house,which was hard to break.She is a very good hen, friendly and lays well she's about the size of the EE's.Then there's the BO,she deflected to my flock from next door.Not only is she beautiful to look at but she's pretty smart.She made her way in the coop at night the day she showed up.Her siblings get out occasionally and come to my yard but no others made their way to my coop.She lays nice large brown eggs and for 2 yrs has NEVER gone broody.Plus,she knows her name,Buffy(I know,real original!!) and "talks" to me.If I had to choose,I'd take the Buff because I like the big, fluffy, smart,talking chickens.


That's sad how so many people get chicks for Easter pets and then they just turn the adult chickens loose because they're not "cute" anymore. I think chickens are cute from chick to adult! 
I ordered the started pullet from the hatchery yesterday. I chose a Buff Orpington.


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## Wilbur's Mom (Aug 10, 2017)

I think you'll be happy with the bluff, but I think you'd be happier with whichever you chose! Your hens will be much happier too...I have a hen that took up the roo role, but only when someone gets out of line which doesn't happen very often.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

Wilbur's Mom said:


> I think you'll be happy with the bluff, but I think you'd be happier with whichever you chose! Your hens will be much happier too...I have a hen that took up the roo role, but only when someone gets out of line which doesn't happen very often.


Since we have a very small flock, dominance issues rarely arise. Wigwam and Atari occasionally have a scuffle, meaning they run at each other with necks up and do a brief stand-off. That's all I've ever seen. Atari will most likely take up that "rooster" role.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Good thing you got the Buff. I talked to someone at the barn who has 2 Ameraucana/EE's and they are not friendly


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

My ameracaunas are bitches. They are THE worst when I integrate hens


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

My EE's are flighty.


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

My EEs think I'm their Roo master and will have nothing to do with any roosters.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I've had 3 hens at different times move into my flock. Never a problem. Number 4 -well they didn't like her. So she lives with my Princess.


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