Introducing ex batts

[Anonymous]

Getting two ex battery hens on 27th June and want to make sure I introduce them with the other 4 properly. Have been looking around at how to introduce chickens in general and most say to keep them separate during the day but lift them into the coop at night right from the start. I sort of assume you have to do things a little differently with ex batts and they can live on the ground floor of out guinea pig hutch for a little while with their own run but really want them to become part of the flock and do it the right way for all concerned.
Any advice would be great, thanks.

Judith

 

[Davidd]

Hello, i wouldn't put then straight in - not with ex- batts- keep them separate for a little while until they are up on their own feet and running around acting like normal chickens and have no nasties :shock: - then, my advice would be to bite the bullet and put them all together at night- they WILL fight- but you need to be hard and as long as no serious injuries ( make sure you have at least two feeders/drinkers spaced out) let them get on with it- some people say let them see each other through the wire etc- but they will still fight once introduced- it's the pecking order i am afraid
regards, David

 

[snifter]

Good advice above

I found when keeping ex batts that no matter how much I wanted, they never integrated with my other hens. Just kept to themselves or in their own group. Certainly no real attachments seemed to take place with my other hens. Maybe it was because they were totally free range once out of the hen house in the morning.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks David and Snifter. I thought that was the way to go. I hope they will join the flock but I guess that's up to them. I'm only having 2 because my coop will fit another two comfortably but if they stick together on their own then that might be a problem with just 2. Don't they say you should have 3 in case one dies? I suppose I'll just have to see how it goes :?

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Welshchick

I recently took on about 60 ex batts.
I dont know about introducing them to an established flock, however, I do know that these ex batts were total strangers to each other.

Coming out of a battery of thousands from any one of the cages, it is a safe bet that none of mine have ever met before.
I have had them 2 weeks, the first week or so there were lots of domestics as they sorted out the pecking order but now they have all settled down and seem quite happy living together.

I suppose it is a little different when introducing strangers to a flock with an established pecking order, so would assume it depends on how quickly your ex batts can recognise their place and position.

cheers

steve