- Mar 28, 2014
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Hello all! I am very new to this chicken business but im excited for this adventure. I wasn't planning on starting my own flock for a few years buuuuuuut...in early January a random hen flew into our backyard. She didnt look like a "traditional hen" that I was used to seeing on farms. She was much smaller and boy can she fly when she wants too.
I assumed she wouldn't be staying long and would return to where she came from. Well, she quickly set up her own coop under our porch and started sleeping in an empty hanging basket that I had for flowers and roamed around the backyard during the day. I dont think she was handled much from her previous owners because she was very afraid at 1st and very independent. She is getting better now and will let me hold her at night. Since she has been here for almost 3 months, a few days ago we decided to set up a coop for her and buy her some laying feed. And what do ya know? After the 1st day I found her 1st egg. I never thought I would be so excited over an egg! We decided to add 3 barred rock pullets to our flock.
I kept them in the garage lastnight but I would like to start keeping them with her in the coop at night. Any advice on how to introduce them to our "Clarabelle' would be greatly appreciated! Any other tips would be great too! Also, if you have any idea as to what breed our hen is? I suspect some sort of game bantam but im not sure. Much thanks from the newbie, Angela
and Welcome To BYC! Congratulations on that first egg! Sounds like Clarabelle knew what she was doing when she came to your house! X2 a good way to introduce them is to split the coop into two parts and keep them on separate sides where they can see and socialize with each other but not touch The Learning Center has a good article on integrating birds of different ages (after the quarantine section) 
