Aloha from South Kona-Big Island of Hawaii

[Thelina]

I am a new chicken mommie...I have 11 hens total-the last 4 are about a month younger than the first 7, any tips on introducing them?
The original 7 are quite mean and I am in the coop watching most of the time, but will not be there always...I knew that I'd crossed over some kind of crazy chicken lady line when I picked up my Rhode Island Red, put her on my lap and gave her a lecture about being nice to the new arrivals!!

Oh forgot the most important part: My 3 Rhode Islands, 2 Leghorns, 2 Araucanas, 2 Wyandottes, and 2 Buffs-- 3 cats, 2 dogs, and 1 wonderful husband who built the BEST coop ever just days after my announcement that we were getting pet chickens-he's a keeper!!!

Mahalo!

Thelina

 

[Imp]

from Washington

A lot of people recommend putting the new ones in the coop at night. Then they wake up together. Good luck

Imp

 

[wekiva bird]

from south carolina.

 

[Cats Critters]

 

[sgtmom52]

from PA!

 

[Lolita]

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Welcome to BYC. I love your area's coffee! I mail order it, nothing here is so smooth.

The hens are best separated by a temporary fence so they can get used to seeing each other but not beat each other up. Might be a few days, might be 2 weeks. I use the plastic deer netting for the job, or the bright orange construction job plastic fencing. Staple gun and it's easy to put up and take down. Occasionally you will get a determined bully hen that will continue to beat the new ones up, best to put them in the separate area if everyone else is getting along fine after a bit. That will cool her jets.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

 

[4-H chicken mom]

and

from Ohio

 

[al6517]