Introducing new girls to an old one!

Hi .. I am a bit of a newbie to Chicken Keeping after inheriting a couple of  3 year old Light Sussex hens and a Cockerel a few months ago ....now thanks to Mr Fox we have one hen and Cockerel is off to his new home at weekend due to being too loud even for our understanding neighbours. so our hen needs some company..
Thing is we are off to look at some new POL's tomorrow but due to work etc can only pick them up in mornings .. we have a large convetrted shed as a chicken house with an attached run , I know it is ideal to place new hens in at dusk but this isn't going to be possible  ..so how do I do it ..can I just pop them in together or is that asking for BIG trouble ....
Thanks for your patience !

I would strongly advise that you do not put any new hens with your originals immediately. Before you buy any new birds either purchase or make another house and run that you can put any new birds in as a temporary quarantine section. Ensure all your birds can see each other but not have any contact. Keep your quarantined birds in their new run for roughly 3 weeks just ensure they are not the carriers of any infectious problems. Try to feed your new and old birds at the same time and any scattered corn in the afternoon is down at the same time. Bring the new birds closer and closer over the three week period so eventually you are feeding them all almost in the same place but with wire between each group. This way you will ensure that when you put your new birds into the main hen house there will be the minimum of distress and stress caused to both groups. Try to imagine your next door neighbour shoving his smelly and  irritating cousin through our front door and saying he is coming to live with you...how would you feel? At a guess not good!
It may appear an added expense but this quarantine house and run will serve you well later either as a future quarantine area, a hospital wing (excuse the pun) or a broodie coup.

If you put new hens in with your present hens immediately you are running a very real risk of passing on infectious problems, horrible, horrible, fighting and having all round stressed birds.

Best of luck and remember slowly and gently is the best option.

OL

I was advised by my vet to wait a few weeks before buying a mate for my last chicken, to see whether she succombed to the disease which got her buddies.  I assume therefore, 10 days should be fine.  She seemed to tootle around alright on her own. 

I must admit I did have her in the kitchen with me some of the time, which she loved, but I am sure this was because kitchen = cat food and warmth rather than my company. 

as far as I know Maggie is in good health.. her mate decided to go beyond her normal free ranging and we couldn't find her before dark , eventually found a pile of white 'Betty' feathers down the lane  and Rodney the Cockerel is in fine fettle just waaayy too loud to convince the neighbour that we could keep him !

Hoping to get some sort of quarantine area inside the main chicken house/run by weekend... so will see how it goes

Although I am sure Maggie would love it in the kitchen! 

ooh great idea.. off to look at Freecycle ! thanks