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

[Flossie G]

Hello,

 

I have a pair of hens, but would like a trio. I've been told that introducing a single hen is not possible because she will be mercilessly picked on. Does anyone have any suggestions? Or should I forget it? I don't want to be cruel.

 

Thanks,

 

FG

[Fur 'n' Feathers]

From what we've heard from others it very much depends on what your setup is.

 

Rooting for you!

[Patricia W]

Or you could get 2- then the new one would have a friend.

 

Introductions take time. You'll need the option of separate accommodation for a while.

 

Maybe others who have integrated a single hen successfully may be better able to help.

 

Tricia

[Flossie G]

I have a cube with a standard 2m run and have room for 3m run (but no more - hence three bird limit). I also have a spare 1.5m homemade run, but no spare coop yet.

[Plum]

You could use a cat box for accomodation and if you got the extension, if you could find a way of making a divider so they are together but apart. That could work.

 

I have just bought a little wooden house off ebay and I made a small run for it with weldmesh from B&Q(cheap at moment), some treated softwood and a load of screws.

 

Could you do something similar.

[Porkypie]

Hello,

 

I introduced a third hen to my original two a few months ago as I didn't feel I had space for two more. I kept her in a separate but adjacent pen and made a little house for her to sleep in (although I was putting her in a cardboard box in the garage for first few days). After a week I let them freerange together fully supervised. After four more weeks the pen divide came down. A water pistol came in very handy thoughout all of this! They are now a happy trio most of the time - ocassionally the original two refuse to share treats and warn her off (although she will still snatch food from their beaks and run off with it!). I was advised to go for a Blubelle as she was a relatively large bird and would be able to 'take the pecks better' than some of the other breeds I was considering. She did appear to cope well and was perky throughout the intro process but at times it did get me down and I was concerned they may never accept her. However, it all worked out in the end. I may have been lucky that it went OK and others may have more experience or a different experience to mine. Good luck with what you decide to do

[rufusrooster]

Hello,

 

I have a pair of hens, but would like a trio. I've been told that introducing a single hen is not possible because she will be mercilessly picked on. Does anyone have any suggestions? Or should I forget it? I don't want to be cruel.

 

Thanks,

 

FG

 

 

 

Hi FG, I have recently successfully introduced a single hen on 2 occasions, i may have been lucky, i dont know, there is certainly plenty of info on here with good advice, but until you actually do it you dont know how your existing girls will react to the new arrival.

 

this is how i proceded on both occasions, 1st time took a week, the 2nd time took about 10/11 days. after that ok no major problems other than the usual pecking order squabbles.

i have an eglu and run and they have a decent sized garden to freerange.

 

the run was sectioned off with canes during the day but they freeranged together and roosted in the eglu together from day 1.

 

ist few days the freeranging was supervised (water pistol at the ready) and as each day went by the bullying got less frequent and less aggressive, as they freeranged late afternoon & evening they went to bed on there own, the new one would hang about for a whilst then go in to eglu on her own accord knowing she would be attacked, on one or two occasions it took a couple of attempts but usually she would go in, there would be 1 or 2 mins kerfuffle then peace and quiet prevailed,

 

as i never shut the eglu door they are allways up and about before me and for the 1st 2 /3 days i would find the new girl cowering in the eglu too scared to come out, i would then put her in the front section of the run on her own for the rest of the day, after those ast 2/3 days she would be in the run with the others but sometimes getting pecked and chased, i would still put her in the front of the run on her own.

as i said after 1 week the 1st time and about 10/11 days the second i was happy to remove the canes and let them mix in the run together.

 

on both occasions there was no blood drawn and only a few feathers flying.

 

i didnt have the facilities to completely seperate them for a period of time before intoductions, allowing them to mix from day 1 in a sort of controlled way worked for me but it doesnt mean it would work for you.

i must admit there was the odd occasion when i thought it wasnt going to work but you have to let them get on with it, as long as they are getting food and water and no blood is being drawn.

 

 

hope this helps, as you can see its certainly possible but dont assume it will all go according to plan, good luck if you go ahead with it.

[Egluntyne]

Article on managing intros **Here**.

 

I too have introduced single ( rescued) hens on a few occasions. I have always taken it ver slowly and have had no real problems.

 

It will be easier to add a couple. Safety in numbers and all that.

[alih]

If you can, I would always add 2 to 2 as folk have already said. Do you mean 3 metre extension or 3 metres including the under-cube bit? If it's the former you can easily have chooks in there - I did and they were fine.

[Flossie G]

If you can, I would always add 2 to 2 as folk have already said. Do you mean 3 metre extension or 3 metres including the under-cube bit? If it's the former you can easily have chooks in there - I did and they were fine.

 

If I get an extension, I'll have a 3m run, including the under the cube bit. I gather that it's best to allow 3 sq.m per hen in a run, so a trio would be my limit.

[Patricia W]

I have a feeling it's less than that and that four in a standard cube run is fine.

 

Of course, a major factor is how much free-ranging time do they have? If all they do is sleep in the cube ( as mine do), and wander the garden the rest of the time then, I think the limit is 10-12 ( I'm not up to that, and mine are bantams anyway).

 

I'm sure someone who can do proper calculations will come along soon...

 

Tricia

[Falkor]

Space Chick (Debs) is our run mathematician...I am sure she will be along shortly.

 

You could aways add "floor space" to the cube run like this:

 

Em

x

[Woodcat]

hey

 

 

I've introduced single hens on a couple of occasions and it's not impossible. The first time i did it was extremly hard becuase she was an ex bat girl who had been rescued by somone else and then the fox got her companions and spent a month tormenting her by sitting on top of the eglu run during the day. Consiquently she was totally traumatised and took along time to get use to the whole thing. She took about three months in total before she was a cemented part of the flock. However i recently took on another one who had been bullying and feather picking her old flock and it took two weeks and two days before she was totally in and running round with them. It really depends on the temprements of the chickens involved.

 

The only thing i would say is that if i remember rightly you need 1 sq meter per hen if free ranging and two if not. If you use you do some perches like the pic above and give them plenty to do you would have enough space for 4. (i think) i'm sure Space Chick will correct me if i'm wrong shortly

[Flossie G]

Thanks for your responses. Though introducing two hens would be the ideal, introducing one to an existing pair is tricky but not impossible, from what you say. I am encouraged. I'm sure I can put together a spare coop, as suggested, and some extra "floor space" is an excellent idea - even for a trio (I still think I need 4 sq.m for four birds). If I do decide to get a third hen, I won't do so without first getting a water pistol and practising my aim.

 

Cheers!