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[essexhen]

I have two hybrid hens - and plan to get two more hens, is there any reason why I couldn't get two pure breed POL?

 

More hens disease

[Salop Chuck]

Hi essexhen

No reason at all as long as you have separate systems for your hybrids and new POL pure-breds for a few weeks. They need to be able to see each other and perhaps your resident hybrids free-range around the coop/run housing where your new hens are.

 

I introduced 3 pure breeds to 2 resident hybrids and made sure integration was slow, well managed and supervised. While hybrids can be sweet natured on their own they can become very territorial and viscious if any new girls are brought into the flock. There will always be a sorting out of pecking order initially but eventually things generally settle down with the help of plenty of extra feeding containers, pecka-blocks and greens hung up to peck at for distraction.

 

Good luck with your plan and keep us posted. We all learn from each other. No doubt there are others out there with helpful advice you can draw on.

[Egluntyne]

Yes I have a mixture, and as long as you follow the advice in the above post, there should be no problems.

[Chicken deficient]

I added hybrids to pure breed bantams, so the other way around, but that worked well too. I do have to remember to put one feeder higher up though - the hybrids struggle a bit otherwise!

[essexhen]

Well, after you both said it was ok we went hen shopping fully intended to come back with two pure breeds but whilst we were there my other half came down with morehens disease and we came away with three!

 

So we have a Maran which should lay dark chocolate brown eggs, an Exchequer leghorn which should lay white eggs and a Araucana (black) which should lay blue eggs - we nearly came home with a Polish Cockeral as the young lad serving us got him mixed up with the Araucana, luckily his boss checked our box before we left.

 

Very happy with the new hens, the Exchequer is a bit young compared to the rest so a good bit smaller - I think she will probably be at the bottom of the pecking order, it's the rest that will have to sort it out and that's where it could get nasty, so Re the dreaded introduction, we put them them in a seperate run in the garden (unfortantely not fox proof) and let the other two wander round them in the garden for a short time before bed, as soon as the orginal two went to bed we closed the door on the cube and posted the other three in through the side, come dawn - probably around 6,30am we will put the new ones back in the other run and let the original two out all day in the garden. We will keep that up for a week or two and see how we get on, will also have a few food/water/grit containers.

 

I'll probably shine a torch in before bed just to check, fingers crossed they are all ok.

[lindafw]

all should be well...thats how I put my aracanas to bed every night...the nutcases still haven't worked out how to go into the eglu and insist to roost on the top

[essexhen]

Hi Lindafw - what colour are your Araucana's? do they lay regularly - I'd planned to get a cream legbar but quite excited to come home with an Araucana instead.

[Pikey]

I've got 2 bantam aracanas and they lay beautiful blue eggs everyday although they lay less during the winter months.

 

They are very friendly and very cheeky!!!!

[quickcluck]

Where did you go shopping Essexhen??

[lindafw]

my Aracanas are lavender..and are not laying yet...I got 3...two have turned into blokes they are hard to sex as youngsters. The breeder has given me one new 'girl?' but I will wait and see as she is younger and may yet prove her wrong! Another girl is to be delivered as soon as she is sure as to the sex....so if you get aracanas be prepared to take one back or buy at at least 18 to 20 weeks would be my advice!!

[essexhen]

Hi quickcluck - not to far from you

Smilers farm on Pound Lane in North Benfleet/Wickford

they have a lot of hens/ducks/geese and Rhea! I think they are open every day until 5pm/

[essexhen]

Lindafw - lavenders look lovely, I think the one we got is old enough to know that she's a girl - we did have a Polish boy packed up and ready to go - oops, thankfully someone more experienced spotted it although it would have been quite funny tomorrow morning!

 

I peeked in on them tonight and all looks ok - feel a bit sorry for the Exchequer though she's probably only 4 months and the others are 8 months+ they're all lovely though.

[essexhen]

Just wanted to update that the introduction went really well - no injuries or bullying, so that was a relief!

 

Oh and the Araucana has started laying more greenish than blue eggs but i guess that happens, hoping the Maran will lay next.

[Salop Chuck]

Hi essexhen

Thanks for update - glad to hear that the introduction and integration of the new hens with your established flock went well for you without the dreaded bullying. Well done you.

[lindafw]

Congratulations on your introductions...I too have been making intro's...3 hens fell into a box in my car I have now added a Blue Ranger, a Light Sussex and an Amber Star to my pure breeds..all is ok...I was very mean and just bunged the new girls into the coop at night!!! They all came out in the morning with only a few flutters and pecks and went to bed together the next night. I think having a huge garden where they free range helpl

[chookingham]

We introduced 3 orpingtons to 4 established hybrids in January and in general they get along fine and introductions were smooth. However, the youngest orp (Amy) had to be separated for about 6 weeks after being mauled by a dog and although she was kept in a run adjoining the other one, when we tried putting her back there was a lot of bullying for a while. Eventually she was accepted back, until my head chook Annie died suddenly a month ago. Elsie, who has taken over at the top has turned into a vicious nightmare and pecked a huge hole in amy's back and despite gentian/antipeck etc did not stop. So we separated Elsie away from the others to try to suppress the bullying but have not yet been able to put her back as each time we do she heads straight for Amy. So I guess the moral is this is that yes, it should be fine, but be vigilant if anything happens to upset the pecking order.

 

In contrast the 3 POL hybrids we introduced a month ago integrated within 2 weeks and it is as if they have always been part of the flock.

[calmbreeze]

we introduced 2 new hybrids to 3 pure breeds and a pure cockeral as soon as we got them and i have to say had no issues whats so ever, i guess we may have just been very lucky! we will see at the end of the week when we have two frizzles joining the group - that might be a bit different. good luck.