can i house two hens together?

SDavies · Snr Member Joined: Aug 13, 2009 Posts: 45

getting my kakariki a friend on saturday

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

Yep nps but dont put a nesting box in, and u do not have the new bird invading the personal terrority of the established bird...
ie a cage you are likely to have issues unless they both establish their terrortories at the same time in a new enviroment.

ypu can mix whatever u like and how many as you like so long as you dont put a nesting box in

Experianced breeders, with established flocks sometimes can get away with nesting boxes if they know what they are doing.

SDavies · Snr Member Joined: Aug 13, 2009 Posts: 45

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

No nest boxes..having a nest box with a male or female .......
Both males and females will create a terrority around the nest box, often females can be far more agressive than males....
One just has to look in the animal kingdom, a female and her cubs (lear)

SDavies · Snr Member Joined: Aug 13, 2009 Posts: 45

Looby · Snr Member Joined: Oct 22, 2008 Posts: 212

Hi Steps....took a huge gamble today, returned the 1st batch of youngsters to the "family" avairy. (just wasn't as much room to fly indoors) went rather well at 1st..The Father seems delighted to have soome companionship and sta ted talking constantly!( lovely to hear again) -actually thought he might be the problem...no ,mother came out and just sat and watched for quite some time be fore she eventually lunged twice for one-then returned to feed.
Nesting box apparent so most likely a warning...as she 's still raising young.Am monitoring situation...
Am I right in thinking others have done this? Any signs I shld look out for?

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

Little confused at how you ...what you are doing
Peter made a suggesion to me not long ago..
Have a male in the holding flight...when the chicks come out of the nest and get their wings working
put them in with the male...(a stanger) and he will take over feeding.

I even had another male who was rather agressive in another community flight, put him in the holding flight with the other male and chicks
I expected all hell to break loose...nothing...he just started feeding them to.
That was about 3 weeks ago.
So when the next batch(s) come out I will just add them

Then once the season starts coming to an end , put them all into the main community flight
Have found adding at least 4 or 5 into the communty flight dont have any issues other than a bit of pecking order come roost time in the evenings.

Looby · Snr Member Joined: Oct 22, 2008 Posts: 212

yes,well, I am renowned for "doing this the hard way".........atleast thts wot me folks say!
i removed the 1st youngsters for two reasons,1)one chick had respiratory problems
2)hoping dad wld divert his attentions to mother and chicks...

....sadly it failed..so as the 1st chicks were not getting enough flight ,I decided to reintroduce them before they wouldn't be excepted..

just thought it was worth a try....2nd chicks are doing gr8 by the way...much more vocal than the last ,seem bigger, and one is definately cinnamon, other dark green,tho one looks almost black??!!! extremely dark...can't wait till all their feathers are thru Laughing

P.S
I wldn't be making such a mess of it if I had had my aviary built by now!! wall