Heya. Any tips on introducing pullets to a lone ISA hen?

[416bigbore]

Hello and welcome to BYC, You found an Awesome poultry Forum to be a part of with many great knowledgeable members who are more then willing to jump in and help you with any questions you may have.

 

[Madhouse Pullet]

Hello and welcome thank you for the intro, it was a fun read! I am sorry for your loss of Penny
It sounds like you're taking all the right steps. I integrated two 12 week pullets to my moms small established flock of 3 and it was a success... well, the top hen picked on them any time they were around but, not anything to cause interference.
I know it can be stressful but perhaps with all the hiding spots, extra food, etc., it will be a smooth integration. Sometimes even successfully, it may take 2-4 weeks before shes officially part of their flock.
So eggciting sending lots of good luck!

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Welcome to our FUNomenal Community!

Best Wishes & Be Well!

 

[N F C]

Hello, best of luck with the integration process (sometimes I think it's harder on us than it is the birds).

Thanks for joining!

 

[MaryJanet]

H

Heya, very glad to finally become a member of this page. I’ve read enough threads on here over the last few years so figured it was time to take the plunge haha.
We live in Geelong, Australia.

So, we got our first hens 2&1/2 years ago. They were 18 week old ISA’s which our 3 year old daughter named Henny Penny and Bok Bok. Both stoped laying a few months ago.

They used to free range constantly even though they had a run but being a suburban property our gardens and outside area were suffering badly; either dug up to oblivion or covered in poop (or both) so they then were reintroduced about 6 months ago into just the run with supervised roaming.

We lost Penny (the alpha hen) just over a month ago , which was heartbreaking, and since then Bok has seemed a bit lost, not coming out of the coop as much or as early each morning (they were never in there except for laying and sleeping.)

SO...on the weekend I brought home 2x9 weeks old Sussex pullets (hoping they don’t turn out to be cockerels, I’m already attached!)One is light named Snow White and the other is speckled named Belle. And yes, my now 5 year old daughter got the pleasure of naming them again

They are seperate to Bok atm, they roam the run when Bok is out free ranging. There’s been a few scuffles when Bok comes back in when they aren’t ready but nothing too drastic, a charge and a few pecks/grab at a feather. They are very quick to find their escape routes haha. Bok is now getting up early again, pacing around their house and is more vocal than she has been in a long time. I’m guessing it’s because she’s a bit freaked out and curious as to who is entering her domain? We recently moved her coop too, hoping it might make her a little less territorial once we had the young ones

I can’t wait until they can co-exist, I’m thinking of letting them out to free range with her but not confident I can catch the little ones again! And it might be too soon?! First time doing introductions and I know ISA’s can be quite chookist.

We have an 11 year old terrier cross dog called Scrambles, hence the username, and he is very good with our feathered ladies. Penny, being alpha, would challenge him sometimes but he’s just a big goof and would bark and run around her until she gave up.

Any advice concerning my current introduction situation is welcome. I’ll pop pics of Bok (the ISA) and of the 2 bubba Sussex’s (Snow-light, Belle-speckled). Not great shots so no one can prob can’t help me to say if they are probable hens or Roos.

Thanks, and again, very happy to finally be a member

Hi from me, four chooks and a cat in Adelaide I haven't read all the replies so I may repeating someone else's advice, but I recently added two pullets to an established trio of hens. I had a look-don't-touch set up for a while and then I had them tag-teaming in the big henhouse (big ones out to range, little ones in to look around and get used to it). Then I moved on to putting the trio away an hour early at bedtime and letting the little ones out to range while I watched over and made sure they roosted back in their little coop. I kept that up until the littles knew the full extent of the yard. By then the trio had grown accustomed to the little ones, so I allowed them to free range as a group of five. Each big hen dominated each little one and then we were done. Except for the ISA who had been lowest in the pecking order. She found a new lease on life and put herself in charge of schooling the little ones, by which I mean chasing them and scolding them. They were usually too fast for her. So no harm was done while free ranging. Finally I put a new roost in the big henhouse and took away the little coop. The little ones had to roost with the big ones. The loss of their coop upset the little ones and they were confused. However, they soon worked out what to do and attempted to roost with the big hens who by then had run out of patience. Pecking ensued and little ones jumped up to the new roost where the old hens couldn't reach them.

These days they all get along just fine. Although the ISA was euthanised about a month after shared roosting had commenced, from a uterine infection.

Anyway I found shared free ranging prior to roosting was beneficial. Next time, I'll kepp that going for a month or so.

 

[Isaac 0]

Hello, and welcome to BYC.

 

[Scrambles83]

H

Hi from me, four chooks and a cat in Adelaide I haven't read all the replies so I may repeating someone else's advice, but I recently added two pullets to an established trio of hens. I had a look-don't-touch set up for a while and then I had them tag-teaming in the big henhouse (big ones out to range, little ones in to look around and get used to it). Then I moved on to putting the trio away an hour early at bedtime and letting the little ones out to range while I watched over and made sure they roosted back in their little coop. I kept that up until the littles knew the full extent of the yard. By then the trio had grown accustomed to the little ones, so I allowed them to free range as a group of five. Each big hen dominated each little one and then we were done. Except for the ISA who had been lowest in the pecking order. She found a new lease on life and put herself in charge of schooling the little ones, by which I mean chasing them and scolding them. They were usually too fast for her. So no harm was done while free ranging. Finally I put a new roost in the big henhouse and took away the little coop. The little ones had to roost with the big ones. The loss of their coop upset the little ones and they were confused. However, they soon worked out what to do and attempted to roost with the big hens who by then had run out of patience. Pecking ensued and little ones jumped up to the new roost where the old hens couldn't reach them.

These days they all get along just fine. Although the ISA was euthanised about a month after shared roosting had commenced, from a uterine infection.

Anyway I found shared free ranging prior to roosting was beneficial. Next time, I'll kepp that going for a month or so.

Amazing advice. The tag team thing is what I’m doing at the moment but can’t wait for them to explore the yard and have a forage.

I’ve just ‘junked up’ the run with things to run around/perch up on etc.
Me and my daughter are about to go for a walk to find a nice gum tree branch to put in there too. Had put a yukka cut off in there but took it straight out due to how sharp the edges of the leaves are! Didn’t want a blind panic run by the wee ones right into that world of pain

I’m sorry to hear about your ISA, great birds but they go hard and seems go young due to that fact

 

[LozzyR]

Welcome to BYC! This is a great community with lots of support and advice.

I’m so sorry to hear about your lovely Henny Penny; we had an ISA Brown called Henny Penny too. She was a feisty little madam until I had to have her euthanised due to egg yolk peritonitis. I won’t get any more ISAs; they die young and it’s too heartbreaking.

I would definitely take plenty of time to integrate your pullets with Bok, plus there should be at least a two week period where everyone is quarantined, the pullets separate from the original flock and their paths don’t cross. With the integration, I would let them free-range together but house them separately for a couple of weeks. Bok will definitely be alpha hen and they will settle down together in time. Just be patient.

 

[MaryJanet]

Amazing advice. The tag team thing is what I’m doing at the moment but can’t wait for them to explore the yard and have a forage.

I’ve just ‘junked up’ the run with things to run around/perch up on etc.
Me and my daughter are about to go for a walk to find a nice gum tree branch to put in there too. Had put a yukka cut off in there but took it straight out due to how sharp the edges of the leaves are! Didn’t want a blind panic run by the wee ones right into that world of pain

I’m sorry to hear about your ISA, great birds but they go hard and seems go young due to that fact

I was very sad to lose her. She was quite a character and became very good at riding in the car, to and from the vet.

I used to joke that she had her driving test scheduled for next Monday. One day we stopped so she could look out at the sea. A gorgeous hen, she was.

 

[Scrambles83]

I was very sad to lose her. She was quite a character and became very good at riding in the car, to and from the vet.

View attachment 2469014

I used to joke that she had her driving test scheduled for next Monday. One day we stopped so she could look out at the sea. A gorgeous hen, she was.

View attachment 2469008

Adorable, look at hen in her little basket! Just lovely