[jumbilee]

I had 3 hens but after a visit from ? fox on Wednesday night I now have only one. So today got 2 more a pol black rock and a laying white star, White star a bit bossy. What is best way to get all 3 friendly?

[slowef]

Sorry about the fox its been a bad week for them :?

I add mine when its dark and in the morning they look at each other like oh where did you come from but not had many probs so far doing that.  A little bit of pecking and pushing but they do that anyway :cry:

[chelseablue]

hi

sorry about the fox

I purchased 2 hens and put them into the coop at night with the other 10, come morning there was some aggression, the 2 new ones kept out of the way of the others but at night they still all went into the coop together, things settled down after a couple of days and now 2 weeks later they are all friends.  

[jumbilee]

Thanks, put the new ones in to roost at 8pm last night. So far today no arguments all of them seem to be keeping their distance. Original one chatting gently to new pair, encouraging them . So far so good

[Lost in France]

I agree with slowef, and even better if you have a large run as less chance of fighting becaause they can keep away from each other! If it doesn't work the first night seperate them again but let them see each other through a wire partition and keep trying each night until it works.

Good luck, hope they turn out to be lovely hens!

Judi

[Aunt Sally]

Adding two new hens to an original single is a good formula.  Single girl finds it hard to be stroppy to two new hens at the same time  

[Louise]

Adding two new hens to an original single is a good formula.  Single girl finds it hard to be stroppy to two new hens at the same time  

Thats good. As i shall be adding 2 new girlies to my only girl tomorrow.Matilda is very timid so i am hoping the new girls are nice to her

I hope your new girls have settled in well.

[mdueal]

We just introduced two new sebrights last night/today which has gone far better than i expected (especially a there are now two cockerals in flock!)

We put two new chickens in with other at night but i rubbed each chicken with garlic clove round neck - read omewhere that its supposed to make them all smell same so they don't notice newcomer as much. When we let them into run this morning we took out the original cockerel and dominant female to roam garden whilst others still in run - left them before adding dominant female back first, then when that was settled adding in original cockerel. Absolutely no problems so far - may be the garlic works!!

Ive tried seperating old and new chickens for a week letting them look at each other in past - it just seems to wind them up so they cant wait to have a go when they are finally introduced.

[Contadino]

Does anyone have any tips on introducing a cock into a flock of hens?

The hens are about 15 months old and have an established pecking order.  The cock is younger (not yet crowing), bigger than them, but seems to be a bit wimpy.  We put him in an adjoining run yesterday and then popped him in the same house overnight.  I don't think there was any scrapping, but when they came out this morning he was being bullied.  Thing is he didn't do anything about it - just tried to hide in the corner.  We put him back in the adjoining run, but with one of the more docile girls.

Is he too young?  Is this wimpish behavior indicative that he's not going to be much use as a great pro-creator?

[Foxy]

Probaby a little young to assert himself if he isn't crowing yet - give him time though
How old do you think he is and what breed? The breed seems to make a difference in how quickly they mature. I have a Pekin who became very active and peppery quite young whereas my faverolles cockerels are more laid back and took longer to crow and to start courting the hens.