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Lesley-Jean

Introducing a new hen 1:1

By Lesley-Jean, in ....about Chickens and Eggs

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Lesley-Jean Chatty Chicken

Lesley-Jean

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I'd like to thank everyone who gave me advice on how to introduce one new hen to an established hen. It has worked brilliantly with no fighting or bloodshed :D

 

 

OH built a lovely little introduction coop from ply wood:

 

Introductioncoop.jpg

 

The roof comes off and inside are eglu style roosting bars:

 

parts.jpgroostingbars.jpg

 

We divided the run into two parts using canes and put pellets and water in both parts:

Ladderintoeglu.jpg

 

We had to find a way for holding the canes securely and found that a piece of wood with holes in on the far side and an elastic bungie hook cord woven around the canes on the near side (not shown in this picture) held them firmly in place.

 

We attached the introduction coop to the open run door end of the run with spring hooks to ensure Mr (or Mrs) Fox could not get in.

 

 

coopattached.jpg

Dear old Hattie lived in the eglu end and came out through the egg port - with a little encouragement, and the new girl Emily lived in the other end.

 

We allowed them to free-range around the garden together under supervision at first with Emily in a small omlet net pen to keep her safe. When they seemed to be getting on well free-ranging we would take the intro coop off and some of the canes out so that Emily could investigate the eglu while they had free range time.

 

When I could see that Hattie was not intent on murder I removed some of the canes when they were in the run. Emily still chose to sleep in the intro coop as Hattie chased her out of the eglu at bed time. This only went on for a couple of days before Emily was allowed by Hattie to sleep in the Eglu.

 

This whole process took about three weeks and they are now the best of friends :D

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Nicola H Chicken Addict

Nicola H

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That is brilliant LJ, I made something similiar for my new chickens and it has worked very well, Ginger and Bunty now let the new chooks sleep in the Eglu but they have all taken to laying in the temporary house and they queue up in the morning even though the Eglu is empty........... :roll:

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Lesley-Jean Chatty Chicken

Lesley-Jean

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ONE QUESTION THO! HOW DO YOU GET TO THE FEEDERS AND DRINKERS NEAR THE EGLU ?

I take the top off the Eglu and put them in through the pop hole. Little bit of a struggle but well worth it !

 

The plastic has two purposes. 1. Stops the bark being kicked out a treat and 2. in the winter the girls like a bit of shelter from the cold winds.

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Richard Chatty Chicken

Richard

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Don't worry - its going to be beautiful weather from now until November. sunny and dry - the summer we haven't had yet is going to start now and run until Xmas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and my flock of chickens are going to fly up and roost on the house roof tonight.

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Lesley-Jean Chatty Chicken

Lesley-Jean

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Another question for this fantastic idea, which I am busy setting up in my garden.

 

How do you keep the rain from getting into the Eglu with the port hole open for the other chickens to get in and out?

 

They only free ranged when the weather was dry so when it rained or when there was no one at home the hens were in the divided run with the egg port shut and the intro coop attached to the door end of the run.

 

You can make a polythene awning over the eglu If you need to.

 

:D

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TESSANN Chicken Eggspert

TESSANN

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Thanks for that !

 

Am awaiting delivery of a small rabbit hutch to convert, but guess what now !!

 

Flopsy, the lone hen, all of a sudden, seems to have settled with the other two!! For the past couple of nights there has been no fighting at bedtime !!

 

Would you believe it !!!

 

Kids hey !!!

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neal & ella Freshly Laid Egg

neal & ella

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We are currently in the process of introducing our two new pullets, a silver sussex and a welsummer to our one year old wyandottes. Tried introducing them at night but still had some pecking the following morning. Plan two was to temporarily re-house the wyandottes in our dog run for a couple of days while the new bantams settled in. Reintroduced them again last night and it seems to have worked. Having said that, the older two get to be free range during the day but will wait a few more days before letting the young 'uns out too.

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Richard Chatty Chicken

Richard

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Its interesting to hear how you are getting on. I've put my new 10 week old Maran, North Holland and two Buff Sussex, in with the 11 week old Orpingtons that I've had for a month. The Orps are definately top chickens, but there isn't too much damage and they have quite a bit of room to run around in, so I'm leaving it all to settle down.

 

I've still got my 3 yr old Pepperpot kept separately and roaming the garden looking menacingly at the newcomers through the wire! I don't plan to put her in with the newbies until they are over 20 weeks old - then we'll see.

 

Mind you, in the meantime I'm building a wooden coop in case she has to live separately for ever! I can't leave her in her Eglu as I've earmarked that for the young Cochins I'm getting in a couple of months (they are 5 weeks old now and still with the breeder). I'm anticipating a lot of problems introducing them, and am planning to keep them in the Eglu with the run attached, inside the run where the others live - and keep it like that for some time in the hope that they all get used to each other.

 

Why do we do it???

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kareng Freshly Laid Egg

kareng

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Got two new hens this morning to keep Freda. our Miss Pepperpot company since Ginger our Gingernut Ranger died earlier this year. Lots of sqawking and noisyness (well, it's one way to make friends with the neighbours!) Anybody got any advice for us?

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Fee The Cat Freshly Laid Egg

Fee The Cat

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Hello! I am new in here! :D

 

I can't really give you any advice kareng but I can give you a bit of moral support!

 

I introduced 2 new chickens, a black pearl and speckled star on Saturday to Amy who is a two and half year old red chicken.She lost her friend Chloe who died last Wednesday night.

 

I introduced them in their outside area to start with and Amy walked around crowing and mugged them quite a bit.

 

I put the new girls in the Eglu and waited till dusk to add Amy, without any problems.

 

Next morning I got up when it got light and the crowing and mugging began again. I moved the new girls outside and left Amy in the Eglu to lay her egg.

 

When I put Amy in with the new girls she seemed happier and attacked less frequently. The new girls seemed a lot more confident about their surroundings so I put them all back in the Eglu late afternoon.

 

The mugging is worse in the Eglu because of the more confined space but the new girls seem to recover quickly after the attacks.

 

The worse time seems to be when Amy wakes up and realises the new girls are shut in the box with her. She crows, struts and attacks more frequently until she has laid her egg.

 

Things are improving day by day but there is no interaction between Amy and the new chickens appart from the attacking which is a shame really because I got them so she wouldn't feel lonely. :roll:

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Fee The Cat Freshly Laid Egg

Fee The Cat

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Well, it is not fun that is for sure. :(

 

I love the way you have done it Lesley-Jean and wish I had the same level of woodworking skills and knowledge that you obviously have but I don't and if I had anticipated these problems I wouldn't have got the new girls.

 

I was under the impression that chickens like to live in a flock and are not solitary creatures but in Amy's case perhaps I am wrong.

 

Things looked a bit more hopeful first thing but I do have to go out sometimes so I had to put them all back in the Eglu while I went to the shops and all hell was let loose.

 

If I dare leave them in again I am off down to my allotment to fetch 10 bamboo canes because I can do that bit.

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