Advice please

[amber66]

Morning all.
I have at last made up my mind and i am going to purchase 3 more girls.
I have checked and as far as i can make out on the DEFRA map they are not in any "zones". I am classed as high risk so my girls are still confined to quarters and covered.
My question is, do i keep the new girls in a separate coop and run on the patio away from my girls for a couple of weeks then put them in a separated part of the girls run, with a dog crate as a temporary coop, so they will be next to one another and then introduce them all together a couple of weeks later.
OR do i just put them straight into the separated part of the run next to my girls?
Any opinions or advice would be most welcome.
Many thanks.
Amber.

[p.penn]

Are you asking because of the defra rules or just generally? If generally, everyone introduces differently, but I just pop them in with the others. Some donut at night and put them into the coop.

If it's because of the defra stuff - not sure, sorry. I would imagine it would be fine to mix them as you aren't bringing the new ones from a high risk area. Actually, I am probably about to do the same as eggs are short!

[Mo]

I suppose it is an added precaution to quarantine new girls in case they have brought some illness from with them - good practice, but I don't think that most of us follow it.

[amber66]

Thank you P.Penn and Mo.
I think it is a bit of both really I am worried about bringing illness into my flock. They will come from sheds and are 18 weeks old at the moment.
Amber.

[KarenE]

Amber if you're worried and you can quarantine them then go for it - it will put your mind at rest

[jaxhen]

Hi Amber

Opinions seem to differ quite a lot on the subject of introducing new birds!

You didn't say how many girls you already have and what size and age they are. These factors can alter the way two different flocks respond to each other.

We've introduced new birds before and done it as you thought you might, in a separate coop away from your existing flock. We once bought a couple of pullets (at 18 weeks) who seemed in good health, only to find that a couple of days later they were sneezing themselves off their perch. Our decision to keep them separate, at first, prevented any illness being passed on to the older girls. Both new girls recovered and were successfully integrated.

When you are satisfied the new girls seem in good health (1-2 weeks), if you have the space, they could be placed in a separated part of the run in a temporary coop, so that they can all get to know one another before they make physical contact. In other words, 'see but not touch'. We've introduced three lots of new girls this way and it seems to reduce conflict between the old and new girls.

By coincidence, we are now doing the same again, but this time with four Legbars that we've raised from day-olds. Yesterday was the first time they all were let out together (we're fortunate not to be in a higher risk area), and so far there's been no blood shed. They then returned to their separate but adjoining runs. They are not ready for full integration as the Legbar girls are tiny when compared to a giant RIR x Sussex we have.

Good luck with whichever method you use.

[amber66]

Hello Jaxhen.
I only have 2 girls at the moment hence why i would like some more.
One is 2 years old and the other i got in October at Point-of-Lay. She came with another hen the same age but quickly fell ill and was PTS 4 weeks later!. This has made me wary of putting them straight in or too close to start with. The new girls will be 18 weeks old and from the same place i get all my girls from.
Amber.

[amber66]

Forgot to say One of my flock is a Pied Suffolk and the other is a Speckledy. The new ones would be the same size.
Amber.

[jaxhen]

Your new girls being a similar size is an advantage. Are your existing girls hybrids?

Even though you'll be getting your new girls from your usual supplier, I think your previous experience of illness is telling you which method of integration to use. As KarenE has said, it will put your mind at rest if you quarantine them before integration.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi I try and keep my new girls away from the main flock till sure they are healthy. Mixing them , if they could see each other whilst in Q. Then just let them loose to sort each other out, main thing is plenty of room for the girls to escape to. Plenty of food spread about and water so they can eat . Watch and see , But only stop if real harm is being done . Chickens are horrid creatures until they settle down. Even then they can be nasty ever so often.
Youngsters at the bottom then they get older and get the top spot as they get confident .
Main thing is to watch and see what happens . Put together at Dusk so they wake up in the morning together.
Case of suck it and see and act accordingly. Time off work is also best as do not want to come home to find trouble. Hard person should watch if a softie like me.
Bob

[Cheshire Chick]

Hi Amber - Everyone seems to have given some very good advice here. When I just had Mary and brought in my 2 new girls I separated their run and made a coop for the new girls out of a dog crate. I kept it like that for about a week and half and then they all went in the main coop once they had got used to each other. I tend to go cautiously and slowly with introductions, whereas some people tend to put them together earlier and let them get on with it. If you have the opportunity to separate them, then I think that would be a good idea for the quarantine side of things and for a peaceful introduction. All the very best, glad to hear you are getting more girls.

[amber66]

Thank you all for your advice. I will keep them separate for a couple of weeks i think just to be on the safe side and then introduce them slowly.
Amber.

[jaxhen]

I follow Cheshire Chick with cautious and slow integration. As Bob said it's a case of suck it and see, and best done when you have time to supervise. From our experience, our girls seem to let us know when they want to all be in the same coop at night.

Good luck and keep us posted with your progress. It's good to see that you've not been put off getting new girls by the current AI situation.

[Richard]

I tend to go cautiously and slowly with introductions, whereas some people tend to put them together earlier and let them get on with it.

Quite right, it is as most say, down to space.
If you have a large area where they can go off in their little gangs / family, great, I used to put mine straight in, but a very large area plus two places where they could sleep - but in a small space best go slowly as you say.

When you do finally put them together, do so at bedtime when they've all gone into the Coop and not going back out again.

Richard

[amber66]

Morning all.
Well we have had the new girls for 2 weeks now and they have been "mixing" for the last week.
Pippa is still a nightmare and is constantly running after the new girls and pecking them and pulling feathers out. I can only let them together when i am home to keep an eye on them, when i am at work i have to separate them as i am worried what i might find when i get home. Mollie is not as bad but will sometimes join in with Pippa.
I don't think it is helping that they can't have the run of the garden so have more space but i have added an extra bit of space with netting to the run. It is not predator safe so again they can only use it when i am home.
I have used the water pistol on Pippa, it makes no difference and have held her for a while walking around the garden again to no avail.
Have you good people any other ideas i can try or are they destined to be separate for good?
Many thanks.
Amber.