My two remaining hens have stopped laying. Izzie (Bluebell) and Skye (Sussex) came to us on 1 October 2019, so are 3+ years old. They have been terrific egg producers in that time, but I don't want to start buying eggs again so I need to buy a new hen. We have an Eglu Classic and 3 hens fit, 4 don't. Our supplier, Skye Pullets, will have Cream Legbars and Cheshire Blues in September. I could have Black Rocks or Lohmann Browns i August but I prefer pretty coloured hens. It seems odd to buy just one hen, but I don't think two would fit in the Eglu, especially with the incumbent girls. Advice happily accepted. And no, I don't intend to dispose of Izzie and Skye.
Morehens disease!
- Thread starter dianefairhall
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I think it may be difficult to integrate a single bird, Diane. We do normally recommend getting a minimum of two newbies, who can then each have a friend. Many breeders will only sell a minimum of two pullets, for welfare reasons. You may have to witness distressing bullying of a single, young pullet, chickens can be horrible to each other, and there’s very little you can do about it.
Given enough space, ie a run you can divide where they can see each other through the mesh for a couple of weeks and then free range together, they will probably settle down in time. It would help if you could fix up a box or similar for the new girl to use as a temporary coop in the quarantine run until you feel she is ready to be moved after dark into the eglu with the others whilst they are sleeping.
I would imagine that two CLBs could fit into the eglu with Izzie and Skye as they are a smaller breed than most of the hybrid layers, and very pretty birds.
Given enough space, ie a run you can divide where they can see each other through the mesh for a couple of weeks and then free range together, they will probably settle down in time. It would help if you could fix up a box or similar for the new girl to use as a temporary coop in the quarantine run until you feel she is ready to be moved after dark into the eglu with the others whilst they are sleeping.
I would imagine that two CLBs could fit into the eglu with Izzie and Skye as they are a smaller breed than most of the hybrid layers, and very pretty birds.
When I introduce new girls, I always divide the run with chicken wire & put the new birds in the half with the coop. The existing hens have to make do with sleeping in the greenhouse (which is in the other half of the run) for 3 weeks while they get to know each other through the wire.
The new girls having the coop tends to even up the pecking order a little IMHO.
I think you should treat yourself to a bigger coop!
The new girls having the coop tends to even up the pecking order a little IMHO.
I think you should treat yourself to a bigger coop!
Icemaiden said:
Our old girls have always liked the Eglu, took to it straight away. They are always together. Yes, I think I will order two CLBs for SEptember and have a look around for another coop. Thanks for the advice, ladies. The supplier is on Skye but regularly comes over to Lewis to drop off orders.
Please keep us posted!
I have actually ordered one CLB and one Cheshire as marigold posted a link to pictures of the Cheshire Blue on another thread and they looked so pretty. I don't really need any more hens than that, lovely as they are, because two layers provide more than enough eggs for the two of us so I think we'll soldier on with the wee Eglu for a little while yet. A lot of people locally keep hens so we can't really give the eggs away and I hate waste.
Sounds a good plan, Diane. I think things will go more easily when two newbies arrive, rather than just one, and CLBs are so lovely. I’d really like to get some when I need new hens but they’re not easy to find within reasonable distance.
As far as I know our supplier has never had CLBs or CBs before so I expect people have been asking for blue egg layers so he is getting some in. He is the only possible supplier here, unless you want to cross to the mainland and that's expensive, so I do appreciate your problem of finding what you want locally.
Poor Skye, our Sussex, was found dead this morning. I should say poor Izzie as she's all on her lonesome now. Our new hens won't be here until September. Is there anything I can do for Izzie?
It’s always hard to consider having a much-loved hen put to sleep, but since Izzie’s probable lifespan is also quite limited, it would save her a lonely wait for new companions, and also all the stress of adapting to a different flock structure. Bear in mind that a month in a hen’s life is like a year for a human, at least, so September is a long way away in chicken terms. Also, although she will be lonely until you get more pullets, she will be very disturbed and resist their arrival when they do come. Even after things calm down, you will find that she is the odd one out, and the new girls will unite with each other, not with her.
There is much to be said for an ‘all out, new in’ policy, which will enable you to have a through cleanup of the run and coop, and avoid the possibility of new birds bringing in health problems from a different biosystem which might affect your older one(s). There will likely be no integration problems if new birds all arrive together, and of course no need to segregate them for the first week or so.
Whatever you decide, would it perhaps be a good idea to order three at this point, rather than two? Then, whenever Izzie is no longer with you, you would have a ‘spare’, so that when the first one dies for any reason, you will still have two left, which is the absolute minimum number for chickens to live a normal social life, imo.
There is much to be said for an ‘all out, new in’ policy, which will enable you to have a through cleanup of the run and coop, and avoid the possibility of new birds bringing in health problems from a different biosystem which might affect your older one(s). There will likely be no integration problems if new birds all arrive together, and of course no need to segregate them for the first week or so.
Whatever you decide, would it perhaps be a good idea to order three at this point, rather than two? Then, whenever Izzie is no longer with you, you would have a ‘spare’, so that when the first one dies for any reason, you will still have two left, which is the absolute minimum number for chickens to live a normal social life, imo.
Thanks, Marigold, I'll need to have a serious think. Izzie looks fine at the moment so I would be loth to have her PTS just yet. Obviously that may not last. Just clutching at straws, would it help if I borrowed a neighbour's bird to keep her company? She is such a beauty and has provided lots of lovely eggs so I don't want to be ungrateful. It seems so unkind.
If it were me, I'd keep her. So long as she seems to be enjoying life, all's well & if there comes a point where she really seems as though she'd rather not be here, that's when I'd consider "letting her go".
My previous next door neighbour had let her multiple flocks dwindle to a single hen who, in the end, lived in their greenhouse. When I got my first ex-batts, my neighbour asked if I'd adopt her last hen. Despite having lived alone for quite a while, Millie (the lone hen) took really well to having new flock mates & it gave her a whole new lease of life.
My previous next door neighbour had let her multiple flocks dwindle to a single hen who, in the end, lived in their greenhouse. When I got my first ex-batts, my neighbour asked if I'd adopt her last hen. Despite having lived alone for quite a while, Millie (the lone hen) took really well to having new flock mates & it gave her a whole new lease of life.
Thank you, IM. I'll keep an eye on her. She and Skye were inseparable, even when we had the nasty Morag. We gave Morag to our postie so he would lend us a hen to keep Izzie company.
I’ve got three new girls. Now going through a bit of a stressful time being pecked into shape by the two remaining older ones - but this one, Daisy, is laying every day nevertheless.
Can you guess what colour her eggs are?
Can you guess what colour her eggs are?
She's a lovely girl! White eggs, I'll guess. Izzie is doing OK and eating well so she stays.
dianefairhall said:
Here’s a photo of my breakfast this morning, with Daisy’s first egg.
So, come on, all you geneticists - ?
All in all, now bossy unproductive Amber has had the chop, the whole situation resembles the scrambles for power in Downing St at the present time - ‘beaks at dawn’ I feel.
That's a huge egg! I hope Daisy didn't lay the prunes as well? The egg looks slightly blue - is Daisy an Araucana?
She gets her Diana looks from her Mum, who is a white leghorn, and her dad is a cream legbar. I really like leghorns and their great big white eggs ? and also the way they fly around and up on to the high perches. So I was hoping my seller would have some, but this hybrid was the nearest she had at the moment. The egg is 53 grams, not bad for starters, so I’m hoping she will get even better at the job with practice. A good-sized blue egg would be excellent.
I’m glad Izzie is OK at the moment. It will be interesting to see what happens when your new ones arrive. I’ve been watching to work out what new pecking order is emerging between mine. Daisy is coming in for a lot of beaky disapproval from both the older bosses, I’m afraid, but is friends with Cloud and sleeps next to her on one of the high perches. They were together in one of the big pens at the seller’s place, along with lots of others, so they knew each other before coming to me.
‘It’s been a very tiring day!”
Ash and Piper sleep the other side of the partition, in the master bedroom. Here they are looking disapprovingly at the new neighbours, although I’ve seen Piper, on the right, sharing the treats dish with Cloud, who is also a Marans hybrid. They share similar barred colouring, although Piper lays green eggs and Cloud lays brown ones.
Daisy and Cloud are just in lay. Lowest of the low is poor little Cinnamon, and at present everyone is horrible to her. She was in a different pen from Cloud and Daisy at the seller, so is not only a ‘stranger’ but a couple of weeks younger and not in lay yet. She sleeps alone in the penthouse nestbox suite in the coop itself. It was too dark at 10.00p.m.to invade her privacy for a photo. But she’s a nice little Rhode Island Red hybrid and should do well.
I’m glad Izzie is OK at the moment. It will be interesting to see what happens when your new ones arrive. I’ve been watching to work out what new pecking order is emerging between mine. Daisy is coming in for a lot of beaky disapproval from both the older bosses, I’m afraid, but is friends with Cloud and sleeps next to her on one of the high perches. They were together in one of the big pens at the seller’s place, along with lots of others, so they knew each other before coming to me.
‘It’s been a very tiring day!”
Ash and Piper sleep the other side of the partition, in the master bedroom. Here they are looking disapprovingly at the new neighbours, although I’ve seen Piper, on the right, sharing the treats dish with Cloud, who is also a Marans hybrid. They share similar barred colouring, although Piper lays green eggs and Cloud lays brown ones.
Daisy and Cloud are just in lay. Lowest of the low is poor little Cinnamon, and at present everyone is horrible to her. She was in a different pen from Cloud and Daisy at the seller, so is not only a ‘stranger’ but a couple of weeks younger and not in lay yet. She sleeps alone in the penthouse nestbox suite in the coop itself. It was too dark at 10.00p.m.to invade her privacy for a photo. But she’s a nice little Rhode Island Red hybrid and should do well.
bigyetiman
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We, sorry Ruth succumbed and has just got 10 Bovan's. POL, got them yesterday and got 6 eggs this morning. Only got 4 old girls left, one being a 5 year old Copper Maran. New and old eyeing each other up in adjacent runs at the moment
