mrsatroy Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 (edited) Having recently lost my gentle light sussex imelda Staunton - I am now down to 3 girls. I would love to add a few more - 2 perhaps - to my flock. My reluctance is the whole intergration process. I have a cube +3m run and have fenced off a large section of the garden that they free range in during the day. I know it is necessary to keep newbies seperated for a period to allow adjustment etc. but have people found it necessary to buy a new coop for the integration process? I had been looking at buying a cheap wooden ark for the purposes and situating it in the fenced off area but at the moment don't have the money. has anyone done things differently or is this type of inegration process the best option? Any advice appreciated! Edited March 25, 2013 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I think a lot depends on your existing hens and the newcomers. Looking back at my flock over the last six years, I've added a couple of new hens every other year or so. We've also raised two sets of chicks, and integrated them too. With chicks having a Mummy hen makes this much easier than when chicks raised in a brooder, as Mum makes sure all her little ones are OK when they get up close and personal with the other hens. I've never gone to the expense of a new coop when introducing new hens. I find a sturdy box inside a sectioned off end of the WIR works well as a temporary coop while the old and new hens get to know each other. Then I allow supervised group Free Ranging in the garden, with the new hens returned to their section of the WIR after a short time. There's always a bit of chasing at first, along with a few pecks and other posturing, but after awhile they all accept each other in the open, after which I remove the section in the WIR. I leave the temporary box coop in the WIR for a day or two, but I've always found that come nightfall the new girls move into the 'Eglu with the others at the first opportunity! Good luck with the new additions! Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanTheDiver Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I am just coming to the end of my second lot of integrations, my first lot took 6 weeks and this lot have had 4 weeks and I would have said that by the weekend they will be fully integrated. I was told by the people I get them from and also by my vet to put the new girls into the cube late in the day and don't open the door for the old girls to go in until it is just getting dark so they will be tired when they find the new ones. I have now done this twice and had very quick integrations. You get a bit of squabbling initially but not that much and then they settle down for the night. The first lot I had to separate twice when I went out for the day, but this lot I have only had to do once. I would certainly recommend this method as it is a lot less hassle than other methods I have heard about. Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I use a cheap plastic pet carrier inside my old Omlet run (I now have a WIR). I have to block off the "eglu" end of the run but it works well. I usually put some thick black plastic over it to keep it a bit cosier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 dont know where you are but I have a rather lovely wooden ark currently unused which you are welcome to. We are in central Scotland. Alli x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsatroy Posted March 28, 2013 Author Share Posted March 28, 2013 Thanks so much Sparkysmum for the offer of your ark - but I am all the way down on the South coast in Ireland! I think the cost of posting would be a bit prohibitive I think I will hold off doing anything for the moment - this cold weather just doesn't seem suitable for new arrivals! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooLilac Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Previously we've gone for two weeks quarantine, then another 4 weeks of slowly integrated FR time. But we had such a bullying problem we actually rehomed the bully. As a consequence, I was dreading our latest introductions but read JantheDiver's advice and we just went for it. How fab ! Mainly settled down after one night. A little bit of chasing and posturing from two of the old girls, but three different drinkers & feeders (between 6 hens!) and all seems ok after 4 days (touchwood). The newbies know their place and stay out of the way, up onthe perches but everyone happy when FR'ing. And now all laying too, so they must be reasonably happy. Big thanks to Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanTheDiver Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Glad to be of help. This had worked for me twice now so I will continue with this method as it seems a lot less stressful for the girls and me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
