Tomorrow I am picking up 20 new birds at point of lay. I do this every year. Usually, I kick the rest of the flock out of the hen house, put the new girls in, and let them have the hen house to themselves for a couple of hours so they can get comfortable with the perches, feeder, and the nestboxes. Then I open the pop door and the two flocks mix slowly as some of the new hens go out and the existing flock comes in.
But tomorrow, there's 100% chance of thunderstorms! I can't kick my flock out into the storm with no shelter, and I can't keep 20 birds locked in a small travel crate until nighttime (to introduce them at night). I don't have any other place to put them right now.
Think they'll be OK if I just put them in the hen house with the others? 20 new birds, 47 existing hens, 3 roosters. I'm kind of hoping that there will be so many new birds that the existing hens can't really gang up on any one of them. And hopefully the roosters will begin to claim the new hens and protect them somewhat?
I don't have any choice, I have to pick up the pullets tomorrow.
Anyone have any ideas? I'm stumped.
But tomorrow, there's 100% chance of thunderstorms! I can't kick my flock out into the storm with no shelter, and I can't keep 20 birds locked in a small travel crate until nighttime (to introduce them at night). I don't have any other place to put them right now.
Think they'll be OK if I just put them in the hen house with the others? 20 new birds, 47 existing hens, 3 roosters. I'm kind of hoping that there will be so many new birds that the existing hens can't really gang up on any one of them. And hopefully the roosters will begin to claim the new hens and protect them somewhat?
I don't have any choice, I have to pick up the pullets tomorrow.
Anyone have any ideas? I'm stumped.