New Arrivals, Three Ex Battery Hens

Last weekend we collected three new hens for are now growing flock. I think I can call it a flock, I have seven in all! We got them from our local Animal rescue in Brinsley which had the week before rescued several hundred birds in an effort to give them new loving homes.

My four original birds came to me as pullets and were in fantastic condition and have blossomed into plump, fluffy, egg laying masters, so to see my new arrivals in the miserable condition brought upon them from being battery farmed hens was a real eye opener. Of course like many of us we know what happens to these hens but  to see the difference in reality real rocks your world. Half bold, rather small and skinny, combs pale and floppy all signs that they were in a rotten condition.

It has I have to say been an experience introducing new birds to an existing group. Especially when the group is bigger, fatter and fitter than the new birds.

First steps in the garden

At the first day I ran both groups together either side of a fence, in the hope that would lessen then stress when I finally introduced them properly. The Ex bats where at a loss as what to do, Grass? What is that? They seem to be thinking, wandering around looking rather confused. They neither pecked or scratched at it, which is the first thing my old hens would do. Infact give them half an hour and the grass would be in a terrible state. We kept them separate for a couple of days then brought them together.

Nothing really prepares you for the viciousness of the pecking order!! The old girls took it upon themselves in military fashion to impose their rule immediately. It is nasty but one which needs to happen, all you can do it try to lessen the ordeal. One tip I used was to Vaseline the combs of the new girls, which is supposed to help protect from injury when being attacked. So far no injuries has happened. I have also fed them separate from the others making sure they get as much food as possible. As one of the major areas of conflict when introducing hens is the established group is food, they do not want to share!  

She was rather scared of me, as her face suggests!

Its been a week now and it has calmed down no end in the run. It took about 4/5nights for the new girls to understand that they needed to go to bed in the coop. So i had to but them in bed each night in the dark until they got used to this. They are also laying and I am getting still, 5/6 eggs a day. Which I take as a compliment that they are happy!!!