Introducing new pullets

New additions Laverne and Shirley are Light Sussex hens

After the death of Karen, we sought out a pair of pullets to introduce to the remaining Mean Girls. All we heard from other chicken owners and on the internet was that the pecking order needed to be set, so expect feathers to fly for a few days. 

A couple of stressful days later, we learned from Chickenlandia that it would be better to have the new hens in a separate run; this would ensure their safety while also allowing the established flock to appreciate their presence. We happened to have lengths of fence palings and wire lying around from an old disassembled project and made a small enclosure. This reduced our stress levels immediately! 

The pullets get time to roam the run under supervision with the others, and in the afternoons, they have the run to themselves while the established flock are free ranged. Everyday, they explore a little bit further, and I hope they become familiar enough with the run that they have places to escape to when chased in the future. 

At last light, when the Mean Girls are settled on their roost and the the Sussexes have quietened, we place them on a separate, lower, roost inside the main pen. At first light, we open the enclosure door and supervise the initial interactions before separating again.

Some lessons learned so far, from first-time-new-hen-introducers:

• Other people's experiences in introducing new hens are their own, and may be based on different values to yours. They may have grown up on a farm or view chicken injury or death as acceptable losses; we do not.
• Food, food, lots of food! Ensuring there are food and water stations everywhere, including in sight of the enclosure feeder, helps to decrease food-envy from the established flock as well gives the new hens something to eat if they are chased away.
• Any pen or enclosure ideally would have two doors to allow the new hens to escape when chased, and be furnished in a way to avoid a hen getting trapped in a corner.

This is day 15 and there has been some good progress. No blood ever drawn, moments of stand-offs and stares at spitting distance happening without subsequent chase or attack, rare attempts to fight at the wire. Phew!