help my exbats will not accept my newbys

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bumble
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help my exbats will not accept my newbys

Post by bumble »

Hi
i have four exbats i got them nov 2015 the usual featherless etc i have spent a lot of time with them and they have been spoilt

i decided to get another three hens these are hybrids and pure breed they are young they were surpose to be Point-of-Lay but they had only just started to grow there comb so they are younger than advertised
i have tried to integrate them with the exbats but the exbats are nasty and are sticking together its been four weeks now but they still are not accepting them they are stopping them from going to bed at night
during the day there are plenty of places for them to get out of the exbats way plenty of food and drink locations even though the exbats try to go to all the food and water stations there is a couple of bullys i keep an eye on so how do i get them to mingle and accept any ideas?

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KarenE
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Re: help my exbats will not accept my newbys

Post by KarenE »

Hi

What have you tried so far to integrate them? Did you keep them separate for a while, and if so how have you brought them together?

If you have a couple of bullies, try squirting them with a water pistol or sprayer each time they attack. Pick up the bullies and walk around with them under your arm for a while. You will have to be persistent, this will probably take a while.

How bad is the bullying? Are they drawing blood, pecking or getting on the backs of the newbies?
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
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Mad Chick
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Re: help my exbats will not accept my newbys

Post by Mad Chick »

You could try separating a couple of the ex batts (do you know who top chook is?) off so the newbies only have two to deal with. Then once the newbies and remaining ex batts become settled bring the other two back in.
Lucy x


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bumble
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Re: help my exbats will not accept my newbys

Post by bumble »

Hi
Thanks for getting back to me
i separated them for a week an a half then when i integrated them i stayed with them to make sure they didn't get killed
the top hen wasn't interested didn't feel threatened or the second in command she went near them but they ran away she was ok its the third one thats the bully and she chums up with the last they go either side of the newbys so one can get at them
i free ranged the exbats for a while so the newbys got used to the layout and to get food
i put the bully in the separated pen for three days but it did not make any difference
i pick the exbats up all the time so they are used to me
they go for the back of the neck and they are brutal
but what is happening now is the newbys stay together out of sight the exbats stay together in there group but the exbats will go looking for them and make them run not all the time but when they feel like it
the newbys started to go to bed half an hour before the exbats which was fine but the main hen is going in there and pecking them out they run out then the bully walks around not letting them in they get stressed as its getting dark when they try to go into the coop the exbats are waiting to bite them
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: help my exbats will not accept my newbys

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi, How big will the new girls get .
If they will grow they may find that they will be able to fend them off.
My little hen and the youngsters are getting bolder and bolder .
Unfortunately pecking order is handbags with bricks in.
Only possiblity is to give two areas of sleeping in till they settle with each other .
bob
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KarenE
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Re: help my exbats will not accept my newbys

Post by KarenE »

Can you arrange it so that the newbies can go into the coop before the ex batts? So at least they are getting in okay. It may be that the newbies are a little too young, and it may be that it takes ages to integrate properly. The 3rd and 4th ex batts are being so because they want to rise up the ranks. It's not nice to see but it's just what they have to do, and the ex batts are usually feistier because they've had to be in the system.

Mad Chick's suggestion is a good one, give it a try if you can. It disrupts the pecking order again, although there's no guarantees there won't be mayhem when you return the 2 ex batts. Bob's suggestion of 2 sleeping areas might be something to consider too, although not ideal long term.

Heavy use of a water pistol as well, to the culprits every time they do it.

Also as I assume they are in a run most of the time, have you got plenty of space and water & food places so they aren't under each other's feet or competing for the same territory and food/water? Plus things they can hide behind - even some screens, logs or cardboard boxes would do the trick.
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
Susan59
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Re: help my exbats will not accept my newbys

Post by Susan59 »

I had trouble integrating 3 newbies with 3 established girls, all bantams so similar in size. It took weeks and weeks and even then they became two flocks of three that tolerated each other rather than integrated.
I had a separate temporary run and a Guinea pig hutch as temporary sleeping quarters for the new girls. The old girls were chasing the little ones out of the coop at bedtime.

Eventually, after about 4 weeks, my daughter and I started waiting until they were all sleepy and taking the new girls out of the hutch and putting them into the coop with the older girls. There were still some skirmishes, but less ferocious and quite short because it was dusk/dark.

It is only since one of the older girls passed away that we now have a flock of five that all get on really nicely together.

Love them to bits, but the process of integrating new girls is really stressful!!

Good Luck x
Aspiring to early retirement - 2 children, 1 dog, 1 cat and 6 lovely chickens
bumble
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Re: help my exbats will not accept my newbys

Post by bumble »

Hi
Thanks for all the help guys
i was with the chickens when it was time to go to bed the newbys went in 1/4 of an hour before the exbats i stopped the exbats from blocking the newbys way in
when they went in i shut the coop door
i then got the exbats in the run which is joined to the chicken coop (as they have a run inside a larger run) and shut that door
i opened the side of the coop to see where they newbys were and one was on the side where the exbats sleep so i put her over to the other side and opened the coop door the exbats went in and all settled down

so for a while im going to try this method to see if it works

but is there a way that the exbats and the newbys will eat and drink together or will they always be separate
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Richard
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Re: help my exbats will not accept my newbys

Post by Richard »

Hi

Great suggestions from all the posts.

I can't add anything much, however I found a lot of the problems were started off at feed time and by placing more feeding bowls in different places helped no end.
That way they're not fighting for first grabs etc.

They do have their little groups. At one time I had what amounted to 4 different intakes and they tended to stick together.

They also have their favourite perching places and any interference of this will cause punch ups.

Sometimes the new pecking order can take time.

The good news is that 99% of the time they'll sort it out - quite often just on their own.

Unless there's blood being shed, I wouldn't worry too much.

I assume their Coop has ample size for them all to have their separate places?
More than one new group of mine slept on the floor !

Good luck.

Richard )t' )t'
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Mo
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Re: help my exbats will not accept my newbys

Post by Mo »

Yes they do stick in their own groups, then months later you realise that they are stepping out together. But it's not surprising - our dance club is like that too (except we don't peck), all friends but little groups within the big group depending how long we've know each other. And our 'own' seats.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
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bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: help my exbats will not accept my newbys

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi , The grass is always greener on the other side .
My girls are always changing places . It seems if one finds a place comfortable then the boss girls have got to try it out . Then the lower girl gets the perch by the window and the boss girl realises that she has lost the view . New straw in the coop is a def to changes . Today I had a girl put her head under another girl laying and pushed her self under her so that the original girl was balancing on top .
Parker was found sitting on six eggs today ,did not realise cockerels go broody ....
bob
Bob

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