protecting hens in rain

[unbaked pegga]

help! I got 2 juvenile hens on Friday. in order to separate them from the one large hen I have, I had to make them a place in the run. With the big hen being in the henhouse. They are attached. I have been racking my brain is to how I can protect them in the case of a storm, which there is one now approaching. could I get some help or ideas quickly before they get drowned?

 

[silkiechick101]

You could temporarily use a dog crate or something. They don't have to be outside every moment of their life.

 

[Tristan l]

Tarp over the top

 

[unbaked pegga]

I didn't say anything about thinking they had to be outside every moment of their life. (??) They are in the run temporarily to keep them and my one grown hen separated until they get to know one another and I feel like it is safe for all to live together

 

[unbaked pegga]

Thanks. I do have a tarp over the top, I was concerned about rain blowing in around the sides. I hope I can have them living together in a couple of weeks.

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

well,,, since quarantine has been pretty much bypassed,,, i would recomend putting them in a small cage right inside the coop with the hen if space permits,,, this puts them in close proximity to each other to get used to each other yet gives the the new ones security from being attacted

 

[azygous]

How old are the new juveniles? Chances are you can simply put them all together in the coop and things will be fine after the initial confrontation between the old hen and the new ones. She will establish who's boss, and that will probably be all there is to it.

The pecking order is very simple the less chickens one is dealing with. It has to do with number of possible interactions and challenges. In your case there are so few as to be negligible. When you're dealing with a larger number of chickens, you do need to segregate until all of them have worked through all the possible interactions. I would put them together and see what happens. Expect the home hen to give each newbie a welcoming peck on the head, if they're still pullets, and then everyone will behave from then on as if they've known each other forever.

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

I have found that adding the newbies to the flock at roost time also helps if you go with immediate integration.. the birds wake up the next morning thinking they were there all along

 

[unbaked pegga]

I was so concerned about my 2 juvenile orpingtons and 1 grown orpington getting along. I kept them separated for 3 weeks. Finally one really hot day almost 2 weeks ago I let them free saying a little prayer that Lily (the grown orpington) wouldn't be too hard on them unless they are arguing behind my back, they are getting along well