Single hen

[MaggieMcHen]

I am collecting 7 x 17week old POL either tomorrow or Monday. I have an occupied, by 2 hens, cube and an unoccupied eglu. How should i proceed with intro?

 

I have had one or two opposing suggestions on another thread and am now completely screwed up about the best way to proceed

 

Only one of my existing hens is laying and I don't want her to stop because she doesn't know where to go

 

Might just go the whole hog and put them together or alternatively tranship them each night into the cube after lights out and back into a separated situation each morning at sun up. Then free ranging together, with me in attendance and lots of treats, next day.

 

Any thoughts much appreciated

[tom123]

Like I said before Maggie, I think the best way would to put the newbies in the cube and the oldies in the eglu in the day and cube at night. this should give the newbies a lot better chance.

 

Hope it all works out

Tom

[Jaime]

With so many youngsters you should be able to put them all together and let them sort out their own battles.

 

It has to happen at some point its just difficult for us huming beanz to watch.

 

With so many newbies the older girls will assert their position fairly quickly - hopefully without too much bloodshed.

 

I dont believe that any method is any better or worse than any other because its Chicken nature to sort the pecking order and it has to be done.

 

Good luck with whatever method you choose.

[Egluntyne]

Article **here** about managing intros.

 

The general advice is not to put youngsters below the age of 22 weeks in with adult hens as they are still not really big or strong enough to stand up for themselves.

 

If were in your shoes I turf the older ones out of the cube and put them in the Eglu and have the youngsters in the cube.

 

If you follow the gradual intro route as outlined in the articles linked to above, when the time comes to merge them completely, it will be the new girls who have the home advantage in the cube, and the older hens will be the interlopers, which should mmake them a bit less bossy.

 

Good luck.

[Snowy]

Lots of good advice from everyone on this. For what it's worth, this is what I'd try:

1 Let two older girls out of cube run to freerange (or put them into eglu run if they are not safe freeranging), but somewhere they can see the cube and it's new occupants.

2 Shut cube door and put the new girls into the cube through the egg port.

3 After half an hour, open the cube door and let the new girls slowly find their own way out, and find the food and water.

4 About an hour before roosting time, let the old girls back into the cube run. Keep an eye on things (the older girls can always be put into the eglu if things get too nasty)

5 Next morning be up early to supervise. Give them a few hours together then let the old girls out to freerange and give the newbies some peace. Put them back in a couple of hours before roosting time.

 

I've used this method to introduce two youngsters to nine mature girls and it's worked well. I do have perches in my run and find that the younger girls like to have somewhere to perch out of reach if necessary.

 

Whatever you decide, hope it goes well

[MaggieMcHen]

Thanks for all suggestions much appreciated.

 

Well they are all in the cube tucked up for the night.

 

I separated them with Omlet fencing for the afternoon and then let them in together for treat time. Amber is being very tolerant, and only taps them sharply if they are in her way occasionally following it up with a quick run at them. They in their turn are keeping clear but are not cowed by her so I think all will be well and they will gel as a flock in pretty short order.

 

They couldn't work out where to go for bed so when it got dark I gathered them up from the various perches they had found in Peckingham Palace and popped them into the Cube. All now quiet on the western front.

 

Pictures tomorrow if the light is good - too dull today