[jammypam]

I already have 4 roam free hens and have just got 3 others.  I have put them in a cage inside the cabin.  They have been there for 24 hours now.  I have let out my old girls, shich roam freely around the farm yard, but they don't seem too keen on going back inside to lay.  How long should I leave it before letting the new girls out into the enclosed run bit? I don't want my old girls to start laying away.  Can anyone offer any help please?

[wadz81]

We put our new girls and old girls together two weeks ago they didn't get on and egg laying has been very unsettled but things seem to be gradually getting better and we have put a new level in the coop were they can go and lay out the way in peace and quiet :happy: Are girls are enclosed in the run so they can't lay anywhere else :(but we are going to put another nest box attached to the run aswell don't know if this will help!

[smiler43]

I'd definitely make sure they had access to their nestbox somehow.

We've got just 1 new hen which caused WW3 at the beginning.  I didn't seperate them just let them all out together (didn't have a choice as she was a surpirse).  After a few scuffles the new girl went into the shed for cover.  Her being there didn't put them off laying, they just carried on as normal, I'd already got 1 hen missing laying the odd day.  3 weeks in things are a bit better, she goes on top of the shed now!!  When they bother her she goes up there for a while.

It's up to you, see how you feel about it, either keep them seperated but being able to see each other for a while or just mix them and see how it goes.  I'd have thought with a few it would be easier but I'm not that experience in introducing.

[desandchez]

Hi
we introduced 8 to our free ranging 11. For the first week we kept them seperated with a fence then we took the fence down for an hour,there were a few scuffles,next day it was for two hours,the third day we just left the fence down all day and in the evening we put the new girls on the pirches with the others. we are now on day 6 of them all being together, egg laying did suffer buy about 50% but things are getting back to normal now just the odd little scuffle, and 3 of the new girls still need a leg up in the evening