4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Ms Tilytinkle]

Hello

Today hubby was saying that he wishes we'd bought 8 chickens instead of 6 & asked why don't we just get another 2 now. I said No, i would rather not as our girlies all get along so well, all lay every day & if they ever have to be closed in their run ..i feel the run & extension is just about okay for the 6 of them. There is ample room in the cube for 2 more, but they must be about 30 weeks old . .we've had them nearly 3 months. They free range most of the time except a couple of hours in the morning (to fill up on layers pellets then an hour or so in the evening before bed time)

However its his birthday soon, and i can never think of anything to buy him, so a couple of chickens would delight him... but my main concern is the happiness of the chickens . .and whether its too late to introduce 2 newbies . I would try to get them as old as possible as opposed 16, 18 weeks . .maybe 21 22 weeks if poss but i am still unsure if this would really unsettle, what appear to be, such a happy content bunch who do everything together.

Hubby thinks i'm daft & soft but i would hate squabbles & pecking fights, plucking feathers etc . . . i feel blessed/lucky that they get on so well. Basically its fear of disrupting the happy brood...for the sake of 2 more chicks & their eggs. Think its the eggs more than anything as by the time he distributes them to family & friends we hardly have any left

 

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

 

Many Thanks

 

Ms Tillyschickenslovedtheirmealwormshuhbutafteraccidentallydroppingthebox

todayandhesitatingthinkingurghhowcanipickthemuptherearenownomore

livewormsasthechooksatethewholelot!!

[moochoo]

You probably do have the room for 2 more but the chances are the introduction will be tricky with 6 vs 2.

It's all dependant on whether you could cope with the disruption and stress. I introduced 2 new girls to 5 earlier this year and it is difficult to watch the restructure of the pecking order but it doesn't last forever.

Stick to your guns or buy him his own eglu, after all it is his birthday

[Tessa the Duchess]

I am about to embark on getting 2 more chickens and am having similiar

feelings about the whole thing. I have read countless stories of good introductions and a smaller number of nightmare introductions, the trouble is, even if you introduce by the book, it can all go horribly wrong As long as you are aware of the right way to introduce new chickens to an established flock and be prepared for a bit of argy bargy to begin with, then you should be ok, and your husband will be a very happy birthday boy

 

Tessa

[Ms Tilytinkle]

Sarah, sisterhood, moral support . .. ahem . .buy him his own eglu!!!!!!

NO WAY as its me who will have to clean it

OOh dear we've never had any pecking order, i guess they all just amicably decided who would be the mother hen as the only time ive seen anything remotely like the pecking order is when we gave them live meal worms & two of the pepperpots became greedy & chased the 2 smaller ones away.

 

Hmmmmmm i don't think i'd be any good, infact i'd be dreadful I hate to see any kind of fighting/squabbling. Huh i wouldn't book any work, or get any work done I'd want to be outside with them all of the time . ..not sensible so think he'll have to wait . er crikey wait until when ... i suppose we're gong to have this dilemma at some point in time i guess if anything happens to any of them. Does that mean, maybe it would be better now then when they are older...ooh dear ... think i'll stay safe & say its a no, a big NO WAY!

 

Ms Tillystillthinkingwhatawasteofliveworms

[Egluntyne]

Have a look **here** for advice on introducing new hens to an existing flock.

[abwsco]

I asked about this the other day as we want some more chickens as well to add to our exbatts. We're still a little unsure as we've no spare house to use for an easy introduction plus we don't know whether to go for another 2 or 3. As we'd be getting our new chickens from Pimlott's I'm going to ring Karen's hubby tomorrow to chat to him about it

[Egluntyne]

It would be much better if you could arrange for separate accommodation for your new girls, and to do the intros slowly.

[Ms Tilytinkle]

Thank you, maybe OMLET should start an 'HIRE' an eglu service specifically for introducing newbies into established brood. Mind you by the time you pay their P&P & what they would charge . ..teee heee perhaps it would be cheaper to buy one !! ha ha

 

 

Ms Tillynotsurewillthinklongandhardbeforedecidingenjoyngtoomuchthehappybrood

[Jules.]

Ms Tilytinkle

 

TotallyofftopicbutIreallylikethewaythatyousignoffeachofyourpostslikethis!

[The Dogmother]

I asked about this the other day as we want some more chickens as well to add to our exbatts. We're still a little unsure as we've no spare house to use for an easy introduction plus we don't know whether to go for another 2 or 3. As we'd be getting our new chickens from Pimlott's I'm going to ring Karen's hubby tomorrow to chat to him about it

 

Anne, try looking on Freecycle to see if anyone is offering a rabbit hutch - that would be fine for the short term

[Gallina]

I wouldn''t do it. Sorry to be negative, but I have had sleepless nights with warring hens. The ratio you are proposing is dangerous: the two little ones would get bullied mercilessly.

 

Why not get a secondhand eglu for introductions? You will be able to sell it again for the same price

 

It is so much better to do it gradually via free-ranging together. It took two months for my last lot to get completely accepted by the old ones, and neither I nor they have had any distress at all.

 

With earlier introductions, there was always blood and really severe bullying. I was always afraid at what I might find when I got home from work, and I got up in the morning in case they started fighting in bed. I also had to crawl into the run to put an extra feeder and drinker at the back, because older ones don't like to see younger ones eating their food.

[Tweety]

I agree with those who say don't do it unless you have separate housing etc for the new girls. I was very lucky with my first introduction ( when I didn't have alternative accommodation ), 2 new girls to 4 established girls, but they were all similar ages and sizes and the little squabbling that there was didn't last long, I think because they were all free ranging all day and had plenty of space. I wouldn't take the risk again.

[superjules]

I totally understand your reluctance. I hate introductions, I'm a complete wuss and keep any new girls separate but within sight of the old ones for 2-3 weeks. Even so, when I eventually let my skylines into the main run with the others, they hid under the eglu (one brick high) for 2 weeks.

 

Another reason I don't subscribe to the "chuck-them-all-in-together-and-let-them-sort-it-out" school of thought, is that my chooks are all very healthy, mite and lice-free, in tip-top condition and I like to make sure any new ones are also in perfect health in case they pass anything on to all my others. A new bird with a contagious resipiratory problem that wasn't immediately obvious could potentially cost me a shedload of money and heartache.

Actually, it's probably a good job intros are so tough, new chooks are too tempting otherwise!!

[Egluntyne]

I've done intros the slow and steady way three times now.

 

It does work very well and I wouldn't recommend any other method.

 

There has been no bloodshed whatsoever, and just half an hour of unpleasantness each time, which I refereed. One or two sendings off but no more than that.

 

Beg steal or borrow an empty rabbit hutch and run, or similar.