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

[sheik]

It is looking likely that we will be getting our new chicken this weekend.

 

I've searched the forums, but can't find advice on introducing a young pullet to older, laying chickens.

The pullet needs layers mash, but I know my other three chickens won't touch their pellets if mash is available.

 

So, after the first week when the newbie will be in her own isolated run compartment (courtesy of Aviaries4u!), will I just have to let all the chickens eat mash?

 

Providing this won't do them any harm I'm pretty sure that's what I'll end up doing. I'll have to buy enough mash for four chickens for at least a month I suppose!

 

I hope the weather brightens up before she arrives!

 

/\dam

[Egluntyne]

**Here** is an article on managing intros. You don't say how old she is, but I see that she is a bantam.

 

You could feed them all mash or try to feed her separately and gradually introduce pellets into her diet once she has settled in.

 

I did this with my ex-batts. I let them get used to their new home and then mixed increasing amounts of pellets in with the mash..... they were on pellets full time within a month.

[sheik]

Thanks for that.

I'm not sure how old the new chicken will be, I'll find out when I phone tomorrow.

 

I'm a bit worried after reading those articles though.

My plan was to isolate the new bird within the run with separate food and water for a week - BUT... I was going to put it in the Eglu with the others each evening to sleep.

I hadn't counted on them waking up and fighting

Provided it is dark there shouldn't be any problems should there?

 

I don't have a separate Eglu equivalent, so the worst case scenario would have to be a cardboard box or something lined with hay .

 

/\dam

[superjules]

Adam, it's the grey front of the eglu that lets in the light and also there's a gap where the tray slides in, so maybe if you loosely cover the eglu with a big sheet of weed suppress material (wilko), weighted down with a few bricks, they won't sense the light. Careful not to block their ventilation. Since we had a noise complaint, I've had to use it under the roof of my henhouse to keep them quiet in the mornings until I let them out at reasonable o'clock.

 

Good luck!

[MaggieMcHen]

I separated the adopted hen during the day but popped her back in the hen house after dark. I get them up at 6a.m. so the mornings weren't a problem. After a week she was with them all the time