[TamCal]

Trying to cut a long story short we have 1 hen which was sort of an impulse buy on my partners side. We have converted a large shed to keep the hen in and it roams about everyday in a very large paddock. We both have loved having and caring for Nuggert (named by the original owner) and have decided to get a few more hens. My questions is

1) Do i need to seperate the new hens from the old one for any length of time?

Im a novice at this so i hope ur all ready for many more questions lol and any info wud be greatly appreciated, thankyou x

[joyfull]

in short yes. the new hens could have an infection so ideally they should be kept separately for 2 - 3 weeks. Keep them in full view and gradually move them closer. When you do mix them together make sure you have several feeders and drinkers plus lots of hiding places so that they can get out of each others way if they need to 

[TamCal]

Thankyou. We have another converted shed that is in a medium sized enclosed garden which i think will be perfect for the new hens until they can be moved into the paddock.  x

[daisy1990]

I am also a novice hen owner but understand that when you do introduce them it is better to put them together for the first time after dark when apparantly they are tired and dont mind new guests as much

[themagicaltoad1]

Poor nugget, she must be lonely, they do like the company of other chooks but expect some squabbling as they sort out the pecking order.

[TamCal]

I wasnt expecting to get Nuggert so soon. I personally wanted to read up on how to care and look after hens before we went to the next step of buying any. I also wanted to make sure we had everything we needed such as feeders, drinkers etc. This however didnt happen as my other half just went out and was given Nuggert by a close friend. I was not amused to say the least as i personally didnt feel ready. Im reading day and night now lol to make sure i know as much as i can and with the help of others on here im sure i will be clued up in no time.