Hen care information

How to Care for Your New Hens

Welcome to the wonderful world of hen keeping!

Your new Hyline Browns have come from a large, loving flock and are ready to start their new life with you. This guide will help you settle them in gently, keep them healthy, and build a trusting bond
between you and your girls.
1. Take your hens directly to their new home after pickup.
2. When you arrive, open the box lids and leave them alone to settle.
3. Place plenty of food and water near the boxes.
4. If space allows, keep them in the coop for 24 hours to get familiar.
5. Monitor closely for fighting; separate if needed.
6. They are used to flocks of 600800, so being just 4 birds might feel strange. They may be scared
at first, so give them time and protection to adjust.
7. They dont know you yet. Approach calmly, speak gently, and offer food (they love wheat, breadcrumbs, cheese, and milk).
8. Toss food toward them and stay still theyll begin to associate you with good things and trust will grow.
9. Encourage children to approach slowly and respectfully. Let the hen come to them dont pick them up right away.
10. Our hens are beak-treated, so their pecks wont hurt much but still be gentle.
11. These hens are dog-friendly, but dogs may not be hen-friendly introduce with caution.
12. Feed them a quality layer mix we recommend HumidLay (Mainfeeds), Buckeye, Sharpes, or NRM. Avoid supermarket feed.
13. Good supplies: Shoof, Appletons, and Chooks.co.nz for coop items and toys.
14. Check for mites (SeptMay). Spray coop wood, use Poultry Safeguard or Diatomaceous Earth
(DE). DE also helps prevent worms.
15. Provide plenty of grit for calcium essential for shell strength. Hide it in their food if needed.
16. Starter kit: solid coop, feed, water, nest box, bedding, DE, mite spray, grit, and a light source.
17. Hens need 16 hours of light daily to lay well. Use solar or garden lights if needed.
18. Pullets (young hens) are sensitive to light changes ensure regular light for laying.
19. Put pullets away at night to help them rest and avoid mischief.
20. Laying depends on maturity (1.8kg weight and crown development), not just age.
21. To support laying, hens need warmth, food, light, and calcium.
22. First-time layers need peace and good nutrition calcium helps prevent weakness.
23. Light should be timed solar or wired is fine. Check pullets when light goes out to prevent panic.
24. In powered coops, flick lights on/off a couple times so birds learn bedtime cues.
We hope you and your hens enjoy a long, happy journey together!
Need help or have questions?
Email: spekelaar@gmail.com
Phone: 021 029 19072
Based in Taranaki, New Zealand
Contact: Sharon Pekelaar
Thank you for choosing Carpe Diem Farms we wish you and your hens a happy, healthy journey
together!