dixie chick Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 My seven posh girls are beginning to lay fewer eggs now the nights are drawing in .... and I cannot bear the thought of having to buy eggs - and use anything other than the fresh new-laid eggs that we have now become accustomed to ..... Solution - get some Hybrids! Cant wait! Off to Kingsley Garden Poultry in Cheshire later today - the lady sounds so helpful and comes highly recommended. Sounds as if she has some lovely hens too ..... probably going to get three... she has Bluebelles, Black Rocks, White Sussex crosses - and various others..... Am a bit nervous about how my Posh girls are going to take it.... but she told me that a recent customer swore by the Febreze method of integration..... you spray your hen house with Febreze for a day or two before new girls, then give the new girls a quick spray of Febreze before popping them in with the others ....he says it works - though I did not think that chickens had a good sense of smell so I am sceptical....Will let you know. ( Hen house smells very nice anyway!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 I've got some intros to handle myself, so will await news of your Febreeze method with great interest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Interesting - I know that some people recommend spraying them all with cider vinegar or similar to get them having the same smell, I can imagine Febreze would confuse them no end, but I am not sure I'd want to use it on hens - it makes me sneeze, goodness knows what is in it! You'd have a lovely fragrant hen-house, though. Very tempting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dixie chick Posted September 7, 2011 Author Share Posted September 7, 2011 I did buy the variety that is especially for use on pet bedding - and I am only going to spray a little squirt on the hens back - so it dos not touch the skin or get into their beak or nostrils .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 You're a true Omlet pioneer (or your chucks are anyway!) Let us know how it goes, good luck!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Similar to the Rive Gauche or Olbas Oil method I expect! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dixie chick Posted September 7, 2011 Author Share Posted September 7, 2011 The henhouse smells great, the three new girls ( a Bluebell, a Rhode Rock and a Cou Cou/Barred Rock) have been given a little squirt of Febreze and peace reigns at the moment .... they are all roosting in the stable together ..... just a little 'stand-off' between the Bluebell and my top girl - handbags..... Will be interesting to see what happens at daybreak - have set alarm to get up early and check ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 It will be interesting to see if it works A note of caution though - really new birds should be given a period of quarantine away from the existing ones... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dixie chick Posted September 7, 2011 Author Share Posted September 7, 2011 I do feel guilty about taking that risk - but my set-up would have made it really difficult to do - and the lady at Garden Poultry assured me that the new girls were all vaccinated, had been wormed with Flubenvet - and had reached an age where she felt confident of their health ( over 24 weeks.) My original (unvaccinated) pure breed girls are all about 18 months old and the picture of health.... Am hoping and praying that I have not exposed my original flock to a disease .....I would never forgive myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dixie chick Posted September 9, 2011 Author Share Posted September 9, 2011 Just to report back on the ' Febreze integration method' .....I must confess, fellow Omleteers, that it wasn't exactly a scientifically valid method that I could recommend. I sprayed the hen house walls with Febreze (the one designed to eliminate pet smells) for a couple of days... then squirted a bit on the back of each of the 3 new arrivals as I let them out of the crate. My set-up allows plenty of space though- it used to be a stable - so the two groups of hens, old and new, are just staying in two separate groups - although last night the new Black Rock was roosting very close to the old girls... In other words, the integration seems to have been peaceful but think it is more to do with the amount of space and all the extra food containers I have put out rather than the Febreze .... ( the Hen House smells nice though!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 That's interesting, thanks for reporting back - If you get a peaceful introduction, you can ask for no more, I'd be flippin' delighted with that!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
