How to introduce new pullets to free range hen?

[jbly2014]

We have one Easter egger hen. She free ranges at our shop. She stays mostly around the edge of the woods but does go all over. I want to introduce some new chickens to her and a rooster to them all.

The pullets are about 8 weeks old and I was thinking I would get 6-8. What is the best way to introduce them if I have no way to fence anyone in?

And I'd like to get a rooster also. Any tips on when and how to introduce him? How old should he be?

Thank you! I apologise for all the questions but we aquired the hen unexpectedly and I don't want her to be lonely. I also want her to have some protection from a rooster and possibly babies one day!

 

[Hencraze24]

let the hen see the pullets by separating them with a fence. I would wait until your pullets are at least 2 and a half months before letting them mix.

how old is your hen?

how many pullets did you get?

are you sure roosters are legal in your area?

 

[Mrs. K]

Without a fence makes this difficult. The coop is probably too small, and the great American outdoors might be too big. Do you have a property fence?

I think you are going to have to come up with some kind of fence or pen for the chicks. Put the feed station right next to it, and feed along the border on both sides, inside and outside the cage, but just feed a little. Then do it several times a day if you can.

Then after a week or so, in the night, I would capture the old girl, put her in the cage, and put the chicks in the coop. Let them out the next morning. They should stay fairly close by, again feeding and watering by the cage. You may have to encourage the chicks to go back to the coop, that night. When the chicks go back to the coop by them selves - say 2-3 days, then I would put the hen back on the roost that night. Get down there early in the morning, to let them out.

It will be a lot of fiddle farting around, you don't want to do it too fast or too slow. The problem is the lack of fencing.

If you do set up a cage or a fence, take a good look at the shade situation in the morning and late afternoon.

Mrs K

 

[jbly2014]

let the hen see the pullets by separating them with a fence. I would wait until your pullets are at least 2 and a half months before letting them mix.

how old is your hen?

how many pullets did you get?

are you sure roosters are legal in your area?

I haven't gotten any other chickens yet, just the one hen. I don't know how old she is but she is laying eggs. She ended up in the trailer at a job we were at and got brought back to the shop. The homeowners didn't have chickens so I don't know where she came from. There is also not a co-op she is just loose on the property. There are a few shelters they set up for her though.

 

[jbly2014]

Without a fence makes this difficult. The coop is probably too small, and the great American outdoors might be too big. Do you have a property fence?

I think you are going to have to come up with some kind of fence or pen for the chicks. Put the feed station right next to it, and feed along the border on both sides, inside and outside the cage, but just feed a little. Then do it several times a day if you can.

Then after a week or so, in the night, I would capture the old girl, put her in the cage, and put the chicks in the coop. Let them out the next morning. They should stay fairly close by, again feeding and watering by the cage. You may have to encourage the chicks to go back to the coop, that night. When the chicks go back to the coop by them selves - say 2-3 days, then I would put the hen back on the roost that night. Get down there early in the morning, to let them out.

It will be a lot of fiddle farting around, you don't want to do it too fast or too slow. The problem is the lack of fencing.

If you do set up a cage or a fence, take a good look at the shade situation in the morning and late afternoon.

Mrs K

There's no way really to put up a fence. She is on our work property. There is just a gravel area with 2 warehouses, some storage buildings and a greenhouse. It's surrounded by trees and backs up to the state park. The neighbors have their yard fenced for goats and there is a fence with a gate off the road but other than that she's free to roam.

We don't have a co-op for her. She has several shelters they have made but I don't know if she uses them. She's been laying her eggs in the woods somewhere because I've only found one

 

[Mrs. K]

well I meant a fence for the chicks. This might just not work. Turning the chicks loose is pretty much asking for them to be killed and eaten, they won't have the survival skills the feral bird has. good luck