Unsecure chicken perches

[Henergy]

So currently we have two hens who are living in their wooden coop. I have now got a cube and just in the process of getting it set up etc. Both the wooden coop & the cube plus run open into a fenced off free range area.

 

Hopefully in a few days we will have another 2 hens - my dilemma is this. For introductions, should I put the new hens in the cube & its run and leave the 'old' ones in their wooden coop & free range area or vice versa. Either way, they will be able to be separate but I'm scared that the original girls will not accept the cube as home if they see it as the 'new' girls house .....does this make sense ?

 

Also - how long does it normally take before I can mix them up ?

Edited July 27, 2011 by Guest

[Patricia W]

I'd be inclined to try to move them all to the new cube together in this case. It's "Ooops, word censored!"ody's territory. Just make sure you have several food sources available so there's no squabbling over that. But keep a back up ready so they can be separated if necessary.

[Henergy]

Do you mean that I should not bother with separation unless it becomes necessary ?

[Henergy]

I think what I shall do is put the 'old' ones in the cube, then disinfect the wooden coop & put any newbies in there. Hopefully after a couple of days I'll be able to mix them ..... any more advice ?

[Henergy]

New girls arriving on Saturday - so anyone got any introduction tips ?

[GillC]

I've introduced several batches of hens to each other with minimal problems. I tend to keep mine separate, as you suggest, for a couple of weeks. Your setup sounds ideal, allowing them to roam together but with somewhere to get away to if they feel a bit stressed.

 

None of my birds have appeared to feel any sense of ownership over a particular eglu. Some nights there would be five birds squeezed into the pink eglu and one solitary girl in the green eglu cause she couldn't fit.

 

I currently have two eglus each with a separate run and no WIR, two medium hybrids in one eglu and two wyandotte bantams in the other (only had these for three weeks or so). The four hens mix happily in my garden when I let them out when I'm out there with them. Minor pecking order establishment in which the big hens chase the little ones around a bit, but no actual pecking. One night, early on, the little bantams went to bed in the big hens eglu and run and the big hens went into their eglu, so I'm sure that they don't feel any sense of ownership. Already the four hens are starting to potter around the garden as a little flock, it's what they enjoy most I think.

 

Good luck with the introductions