adding a new hen

[kaddidle]

I have a covert coop in a suburb and have been quietly keeping two hens in my privacy fenced backyard. They are good girls and go out when I let them and come back when I call them.

I need three hens to supply the eggs I need for my family, which is all I desire from my pet chickens, and my MIL has a friend with a bunch of layers who wants to give me a particularly friendly RIR hen just so she can go to a pet home.

What is the quietest way I can introduce her? I am considering simply turning the leaf blower on for a few hours. I think that even noisy hens are less noisy than other suburban noise.

 

[hallerlake]

It's generally recommended that you put the new bird in quarantine for a month to make sure she isn't harboring some illness that she could give your other birds.

I'd introduce her by putting her in a dog crate or something of that nature, where the birds can see each other, but not peck each other. Eventually, you can let them free range together. That way the new hen can get away from the others if necessary. See how it goes. If one bird is particularly nasty, put her (not the new bird) in the dog crate for a few days. That upsets her place in the pecking order.

Some people recommend putting the new bird in at night, when they won't notice.

I think the leaf blower would stress everyone out and make things worse.