How to Support a Healthy Backyard Flock Integration

When I decided to add to my flock of backyard chickens (or should I say, chicken, singular, since we were left with a lone Cochin), my main concern was making the transition as stress-free, smooth, and safe as possible for all involved.

Integrating chickens into an existing flock can be a nerve-wracking ordeal if you don’t prepare for it. It’s not as simple as sticking all the chickens together and hoping for the best — flocks have a firmly established pecking order, and they take that order...