[F1schuey]

I have 2 gorgeous girls and am wondering if it is possible to add another girl to them.  The only worries I have are.... 1 if new bird is infested... 2 if existing girls will bully new Bird.  Has anyone added to their existing girls and how did they go about it. Mine are so lovely but would hate for them to catch something or get red mite etc.

Am I better off just sticking with my girls

[Carla]

I havent added to my flock of 3 yet, but am hoping to very soon, From what I understand of the introduction process, you have to keep the new hen near, but not in direct contact, so they can see each other to get used to each other and dust them for any mites just incase. Keep them seperate from the flock for a week or so and then, place the new hen into the coop when it's dark and they're all sleepy and the old hens should accept the new one. As I said, I havent done it myself, and this info is gleaned from the different posting on here, so it might be a muddle of mis information, but I think thats how I'll approach it when I get my new girls. Hopefully someone will come along with a clearer idea of what to do. Good luck x

[feelingbroody]

I added a rescue girl who had just had a broken leg and had come out of plaster prior to me having her, so you can imagine I was feeling on tenterhooks.

My run is divided into two an outside and inside run with a dividing door inbetween them, I placed the newbie in the inside and let them socialise for a few hours through the fence and then introduced the other girls one by one with time in between it was then getting dusk and they all went to bed thankfully

If you read other posts on here many suggest putting the newbie in at bedtime,

Whatever happens there will be some sort of pecking and order sorting out into heirarchy I felt it best not to supress this as it is inevitable and the sooner they sort out the pecking order the better

Good luck

Broody

 

[feelingbroody]

Sorry I also must mention distract them with tasty leafy treats or an apple on a bobbing string just to keep their little beaks busy elsewhere!

[F1schuey]

Thank you all

[GrannieAnnie]

If you can keep them separate for a week or 2, it will help in case the new one does have anything like lice, red mite or a disease?

[francais]

At different times, I have had the need to add a total of  three different ladies (always just one bird at a time)  and apart from the illness part (I was very confident about their health as they came off a trusted friend) I never considered a slow introduction.

All apart from the “pecking order” it was quite easy on all occasions. TBH I just added the new girl late evening and within a week they were fine. The new girl doesn’t end up at the bottom of the order either - my newest girl hold what I can tell is about a third rank along with one of my original hybrids and one I reared from a chick lol!

There will be fighting, but (and I can only speak from my personal observations here) it seems to soon settle down if you let them sort out their own order.