How to add a new hen to existing two?

[bellydancer]

I have heard that I should add the new chicken at night so that they roost together and kind of wake up thinking that the new chicken is not so new-- sort of an "I woke up with an elephant in my bed" sort of tactic?

Any truth to this?

Any tips for adding a third to an existing duo of city chickens?

I have two Americaunas who lay the blue-green eggs-- they are probably a couple of years old at this point. We had originally started out with three-- but it was just too much for us newbies. Now, we are determining that really, three eggs a day would be just right.

Any tips?

 

[zatsdeb]

I put them next to each other for a few days, in a neighboring pen, and then put them together in the dark.

 

[monica]

I just added a 3rd chicken to my duo about 10 days ago. Well, I didn't do it just right. I added her during the afternoon, and my dominant chicken, Storm, lit into her right away. I spent the next week keeping the new girl, Jeanie, cooped up most of the time, for her own protection, and a couple days I kept Storm cooped up while Jeanie free ranged. At night, I've kept them separate.

This weekend all 3 free ranged together. My husband said he noticed Jeanie standing up for herself a little more, and I've noticed Storm leaving her alone a little more. This weekend we also moved the coop and connected it to our garage so the girls have better accommodations for the winter. Storm and Rogue slept 'downstairs' in the summer coop, Jeanie slept 'upstairs' in the garage coop area. This seemed to work well. Good luck!!

 

[Farmer Brown]

Which x-men character was Jeanie?

We are going on almost 3 weeks adding two new girls

 

[chickensandmore]

I guess i am from the real old shool cause I just put them in and see what happens.. some will fight some will not.. they all have a pecking order and untill they get that settled you never know..
JMPO

Don

j

 

[chickensandmore]

I guess i am from the real old shool cause I just put them in and see what happens.. some will fight some will not.. they all have a pecking order and untill they get that settled you never know..
JMPO

Don

Sorry about the double post I don't really know what happened ????????????????

j

 

[DeeTee]

I added three to my five existing ones on Sunday. I brought them in to the coop in pet taxis and let them eyeball each other for awhile. Then when it was dark I let them loose in the coop and turned on a flashlight so they could see to roost. Two went right up and one spent the night on the floor. One laid an egg in the pet taxi.
In the morning there was a little scrapping and there has been a little more since -- this is the third day -- but nothing violent.
I throw out plenty of scratch in the evening as well so they all scratch around together. So far so good.

I should add that the original five are very calm and I handle them a lot. The newconmers, 18 month-old hens that I rescued, are slightly more flighty but smaller than my original girls.