[SurreyLass]

Can you lovely people help me please?

I am considering getting a bigger house / run, and another 2 girls.
When I got the girls for Mothers Day, I didnt know that I should have got 3, and niavely got 2. I am absolutely loving them, and desperate to upgrade the set up to allow me to get another 2 girls.

Questions - I have 2 ISA Browns, bought as Point of Lay late March. I want to get another 2 girls - would you get another 2 ISA Browns, would that make them more likely to get on better?

Any top tips??? Do you really need to try and keep them apart but visible for a couple of weeks before moving them in together - this is going to be really tricky I think ..... worried about the intergration part a lot too!

Thanks for reading

R

[SurreyLass]

I am beginning to take this personally now - my post get VERY few replies if any ............
would you rather I go elsewhere or are my questions too boring?

I am only posting as I have found the forum such a fantastic source of information.

[joyfull]

yes you do need to keep them seperate really to stop any risk of them bringing in any viruses. If you really cant do this then you have to take the risk but make sure you get the birds from somebody whose animal husbandry and breeding methods you trust.
Also stay armed with the good old purple spray.

[SurreyLass]

What about breeds Joyfull - I was thinking of getting another 2 ISA Browns from the same place my girls came from, as if they are the same breed maybe their temperament will be the same, but I dont know enough to know really! Where I got my girls only do ISA Browns, but there is another good breeder locally (Surrey Poultry) who do all sorts.
Also, can you get point of lay all the time, or are they only available at certain times of the year?

Thanks for replying - I was feeling very lonely!

[JaK]

You can mix the breeds if you like (my lot are a mixed bunch). Introduce the new ones at night so they wake up together in the morning and let them all out early. Also get another feeder and drinker as your older bird's wont want to share with the new ones! I introduced two new ones about two weeks ago and feathers are still flying at times but not too much. Good luck with your new hens.

[SurreyLass]

Jak - did you keep them apart for a while first? If so, how long for - were they visible to each other?

[NormandyMary]

Hi SurreyLass. Sorry I didnt reply to your post this morning, this is the first time Ive logged on today. Dont feel neglected, sometimes people read your posts but just dont have anything to add at that time. Nobody's ignoring you!!
Ive never had the facility to separate new hens, so providing Im introducing a minimum of 2, I just plonk them in with the exsisting girls. I have learnt though that if Im getting them in the morning, I let them out into the henhouse alone, to get them used to the house and their new surroundings. Then I open the door so that they see the outside world, again, all new, they can then get to know their new sisters. They ususally stay in the house for the day, then venture out a step at a time. At least they know where to sleep at night this way. To be honest, its all trial and error and there will some loss of feathers at some stage. Unless it gets particularly blooming, I tend to let them get on with it!!!
Everyone has their favoured way according to their own set-ups.

[JaK]

I put them in together straight away (well in the evening when the others were sleeping) I didn't have enough space to keep them apart but I do know the breeder is a very, very, good one and her animals are kept to a high standard. Try and find the best breeder you can before you buy. I found the best ones are those who don't pester you into buying anything but simply delight in telling you everything about the birds they have.

[joyfull]

as for breeds go for whatever you like the looks of and also which breed lays the colour eggs you want (if you have any preference).

[SurreyLass]

This might seem like a stupid thing to say, but I was worried that because my girls are quite big, if I go 2 of a different breed, that were smaller, they would be more likely to be picked on - is that not the case? Because I have 2 that lay daily without fail, I am not too worried about having 2 more that arent as prolific layers....never thought about egg colour!

[3Bluebelles]

I don't think size is an indication. My 3 year old Bluebelle is the biggest and the most gentle of all, and the little POL ones I got this Spring are much faster and run rings around the others, and don't get bullied as a result, or at least can get away if they start!

Different coloured eggs are quite useful because you can tell who is laying, and it's easy to spot straight away if you may have a problem by the quality or number of eggs.

Plus it looks nice! We now have white, light brown, really dark brown, speckled and blue eggs!

[Sassy]

Best not to mix vaccinated and unvaccinated birds

[SurreyLass]

Both the place where I got my 2 girls, and Surrey Poultry (who do more interesting girls!) vaccinate, so that should be ok.

Just about to order the new house etc - cant wait!

[Casey76]

Just one word of advice... if you end up with three brown hens, and a different coloured on, the one which is different may suffer with bullying a bit more.  If you have all different colurs it doesn't seem to matter

[SurreyLass]

I was thinking that I will either get another 2 big brown girlies, or get 2 of another breed / colouring, so that I have 2 and 2. Because my girls were chosen for the fantastic egg laying, I am not too worried about the other 2 level of egg production, as I already get plenty, but now you have said it, I quite fancy a different coloured egg!!!

Oh I dont know - maybe I will be forced to decide once we have built the new setup and go to get them!