Quite Simply, Chook Chat

[Scarlet]

Yes, you need to keep them separate. You can make a makeshift fence with a few bamboo canes threaded through some mesh. I think your colleague may have been a little unfair with giving you two cockerels - it's too many for 3 girls, they tread them too much and can cause aggression between the two males. Give her one back. You willthen have more room for the others.

[frias]

Lovely looking hens. I have 2 hybrids, one broody the other waiting at the back door hoping for company. She is very lonely poor thing. I am getting 2 pullets in a couple of weeks, a Welsummer and a Copper Black Maran.

She might be lonely but she'll probably bully them for the first month. I hate the settling in period. Good luck.

[Nicos]

We keep ours separate for 3 days, but can be seen by all the adults during that time.

After that we slowly introduce them to the rest of the flock.
Both the cockerels had been up to the cage to look at them and once they'd taken a close look have been absolutely fine with them.
The other females come and go and are fine with them.
Maybe we've just been lucky?

We just keep everywhere clean and places to hide if need be.
Seems to work fine!

[Bal]

Thanks everyone. Will I need to separate the hen while she is sitting on the eggs as well?

[Scarlet]

Yes, otherwise the laying hens will lay more eggs in the same box. The eggs will get mixed up, trodden on,etc.

[Scarlet]

Maybe we've just been lucky?
D

It may have something to do with space Nicos? I don't have much trouble but they have a large area,a few trees, a shed and a couple of coops and several feeders and a couple of drinkers. When they are in smaller pens there really isnt anywhere to hide.

[Nicos]

Ah yes, very true!

[elizajay]

She might be lonely but she'll probably bully them for the first month. I hate the settling in period. Good luck.

How long should I keep them separate before they move in together?

[elizajay]

How long should I keep them separate before they move in together?

I will have to persuade the broody to stop before they arrive because if she is still broody she will be extra grumpy with the newbies

[Glutton4...]

I've just reported a loss in the 'how many Chooks' thread, which has reminded me that one of my customers lost her little red hen a couple of weeks ago. She was such a sweet-natured friendly little thing, who used to come and 'help' us in the garden, and it doesn't seem the same without her. Plants stay where you've transplanted them.... soil stays in the beds, instead of being chucked all over the neatly edged lawn... I can dig without worrying that she'll step under the fork prongs...

It's not the same without her!

[elizajay]

That is so sad.

[Verinda]

One of my hens, Desdemona has spent most of the day in a nest box, when I peer into the hen house she screeches at me and looks flustered, she clearly wants to be left alone. I wonder if she's in trouble or could she just be broody even though I don't have a cockerel.

Any thoughts would be very welcome. I hope she's ok.

[veggiechicken]

Probably going broody. They don't need a cockerel to be moody

[Nicos]

She wants to have babies!!!!!!' ( well...chicks )
Congratulations!
...now comes the complete waste of time for several weeks where she stops laying

Can you try and keep her out of there if she's only just started doing that?
Might work.....

[Verinda]

Aah poor thing wanting babies! I could try lifting her out of the box but she seems pretty determined judging by the high pitched screech she omits every time I go near, the nest boxes are in the hen house so I can't really shut them out.

Having hens seems to be a constant learning process! Thank you both for your advice