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

[Raina]

Hi all,

 

I would love 2 - 3 more hens in a few months (Hopefully ex-batts )

 

 

But how would i introduce more hens & What would i need

 

 

Also my younger girl is a bit bossy (she likes to run over and peck the dogs through the bars too) so would this affect adding more hens?

[Olly]

Take a look at this FAQ here . It gives you all the advice you need!

 

Bear in mind that you'll need to keep them separately to begin with, especially ex-batts who will need to recover their strength and feathers a bit before they mix with other hens. I managed to introduce one hen by using a cat-basket and a spare Eglu run, but if you're getting two or three you'll really need some separate housing for a few weeks.

 

I don't think having one bossy hen will matter too much, someone always has to be top of the pecking order, but you will need to keep an eye out for pecking and feather-pulling.

[CrazyDaizy]

Good luck with getting some new chooks.

 

They will need to be kept separate to start with, as Olly says. Then gradually introduce them a bit at a time, keeping your eye on them. Takes a while, but eventually they accept and get used to each other.

[quickcluck]

I just introduced 2 to 6 girls it took about 5 weeks