[leggygirls]

I'd like to get some new young hens as we are now down to the last of our first clutch of 6.  Any advice and tips PLEASE.

[Sassy]

Ensure you quarantine the new girls for 2 to 3 weeks before putting in with your older girl. It is good if they can see each other but they must not be too close. If you can then move them next to each other for a week or so and then put together after they have gone sleepy at night. Depending how things go use extra feeding and watering stations to minimise squabbling. Keep wound powder or purple spray to hand in case any squabbling goes too far! This is always easier to do in a larger area so it depends on whether you are able to free range how quickly you can proceed. Good luck 

[Mrs Bee]

As Sassy says.

We also found that it was an easier transition if we add several new hens at once so that there was a more even match. We waited until we were down to 6 and then added another four.

We found that it gave the new girls a fighting chance and although there was a lot of chasing, and a bit of pecking it was nothing like as bad when there were more old girls than new.

[themagicaltoad1]

The more room you can give them the better it will be. After a couple of weeks squaring up to each other through the fence while in quarantine, we always let them free range in the garden together, after a couple of days the new hens choose to go to bed in the main coop with the old hens when it gets dark. We've introduced several new hens over the years and have never had  more than a little spat from any of them.