New home - new hens

[bussinspain]

Morning all, yesterday I bought 2 new hens - one black and one brown for the new hen house. When they are less camera shy I will post pics of them. On Friday I will introduce one of the older hens into the new house, and the other older one on Saturday. Hopefully this will prevent any bullying of the new ones. I think the new ones are about 4 months old. They have got tiny combs forming and they are slightly pink. The older birds are about 3 years old. The remaining 3 hens are going to our neighbour. Fingers crossed.

[Glutton4...]

Fingers crossed. I have heard that if you introduce them at night, when it's dark, you'll have less trouble. They say you can spray them all with a vinegar solution so they all small the same too, but I haven't tried that.

[bussinspain]

Phase one of "operation transfer" completed. Just caught and moved one of my older hens and put her with the 2 new ones. Eating nicely together at the mo I am glad they are easily caught - plenty of contact and handling from me in the past. Phase 2 tomorrow morning.

[bussinspain]

Fingers crossed. I have heard that if you introduce them at night, when it's dark, you'll have less trouble. They say you can spray them all with a vinegar solution so they all small the same too, but I haven't tried that.

I prefer vinegar on my chips not on my chicken! LOL!

[bussinspain]

Well, the 2 new hens have settled in. Only a little bullying/assertiveness shown by the 2 older hens. So all is good on the hen front And the new hen house and attached run is so easy to move around. I move them every 2 or 3 days to fresh pasture.

[bussinspain]

Well, one of the younger hens has started laying! Not knowing exactly how old they were when I bought them, I guessed (by the state of their combs) that they would start laying at the beginning of April - not far off was I? The eggs are small at the mo but they will grow. My older hens are laying eggs that are just over 2.75 ozs each! WHOPPERS! They are all happy and well feathered and enjoy the fresh pasture that I move them to each day. I then rake up the grass etc., that they scratched the previous day and put it into my "Chonk" heap (chicken and donkey poo heap).