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Adding hens to coop

post #1 of 3
9/7/12 at 8:09pm
Thread Starter 
I have a single hen, 6 months old, who just started laying. I am getting 5 more hens that lay and are a year old. How should I add them? My one hen is free range and goes in the coop at night and I shut the gate, then let it out in the morning.
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post #2 of 3
9/8/12 at 5:44am

That one hen is going to be stressed, but it will all sort itself out IF you manage the situation and they have enough space to figure out the pecking order without being crowded. I have a FAQ about this here: http://hencam.com/faq/introducing-new-hens/

In your case I just might try the technique of putting everyone in at night, so the first time that they see each other is in the morning. Sometimes they wake up and say, "oh, I must know you!" Because the majority of your hens will be new they won't have staked a claim yet to the territory you might have an easier time of it. Do the 5 know each other and are already a flock? Or, are they all individuals meeting for the first time? Anyway, don't freak out when there are squabbles, but if there's one highly aggressive hen, remove her until everyone else is fine, then return her. She won't be at the top anymore.

Terry Golson

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Terry Golson

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post #3 of 3
9/8/12 at 11:49am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the great advise. The 5 hens have been together since chicks.
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