Chicken pecking

[Madchook]

I just wanted to check that this isn't a bad plan! I am picking up a new girl (rehoming her from someone on here infact) on Friday afternoon. Originally it was going to be next week when I was going to put them all in my new cube togther - so nuetral ground as it were. But obviously now I will have to put her in the eglu with J and F on Friday night. I was planning to wait until they took themselves to bed and them pop her in the egg port when they are all sleepy.... is this the best plan (lol, imagining myself chicken wrangling in the dark !)?

So Saturday morning....do I feed them all in the run and let them get on with it? Or do I let my 2 out (although new girl is not liking being penned in so I don't want to keep her in unless necessary) or let them all out so they can get to know eachother in a bigger area??? Dear me, I just want to do the right thing! wo would have thought chooks could be so complicated

Advice appreciated!

Maddy

[tenzin]

Firstly it's important to keep them isolated for a week so not to infect you're flock with any new parasites .

Then allow your flock to see the new hens for a few days . When you finaly put them together , put them in the hen house at night when it's dark and then monitor them closely for a few dasy just to check on any hen pecking or bullying ..

 

As you are ony bringing the one in , pop her in at night time , should be o.k .

[Shirl]

I'll tell you what I did because it's worked really well a couple of times.

 

I keep the newbie/s seperate for the first few days in a run during the day and pop them in with the others at night. After about 5 days I let them free range together and they share a bed but are fed seperately in the morning. My little poland that is only about 10 weeks has just gone in with the big girls after just 9 days. She didn't want to be by herself anymore so I just sat and watched (in the cold!) whilst she went in the same run as the big girls and she was fine.