The Pecking Order

Introducing new chickens to a coop with older hens is a common challenge — whether expanding a flock or replacing lost birds. Here’s how to safely introduce baby chicks to the existing flock, minimize stress and help everyone settle into a peaceful, healthy community.

Choose Your Chicks Carefully

First things first: start with healthy birds. Always buy from a reputable hatchery that participates in the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP). This ensures they’re testing for pullorum disease, monitoring for avian influenza and taking good care of flock health. Most retail stores also source chicks from NPIP-certified hatcheries.

Raise Separately – At First

Keep new chicks separate from the existing flock until they are 6–8 weeks old and able to regulate their body temperature.

How you do that depends on how many birds you’re adding and the space you have. If possible, use a dog kennel or bird crate. Place the chicks inside with food and water, then set the crate in the coop with the door closed. This lets everyone see and get used to each other without direct contact. If it is not possible to keep them in a small container like a dog kennel use this same process but try to separate them with a small piece of fencing or netting.

Look for Ambivalence

Watch their behavior closely. What you’re looking for is indifference — when the older birds stop paying much attention to the newcomers, that’s a sign they’re ready to coexist. When that happens, open the crate and let the chicks out.

To help ease the transition, move the main feeders and waterers. This can “reset” routines and help shuffle the pecking order. Keep the crate in the coop as a safe zone where the new birds can retreat, with food and water available inside.

Provide a Safe Space

Now’s the time to really observe. If the older hens are being overly aggressive, try distracting them with treats like heads of lettuce. It gives them something else to peck at besides the new flock members.

If problems persist, repeat the process. Usually, within a day or two, the flock will settle and establish a new pecking order.