First meet

[barkingmad]

I let the new hens into the garden yesterday for the first time and they were loving hopping about stretching their wings etc.. So I thought this morning I would let everybody meet in the garden.
WOW
It was manic for about 5 mins
But things soon settled down when the meal worms came out ( my older girls love them )
Now I have to go out for about a hr so I'v put all the girls in the main run with my older girls sectioned off so they cant get at each other. I will leave the new girls to get used to the larger enclosure till tonight then I will try and get them all to bed together.
Now question is do I let the new girls into bed followed by my older girls or other way round or just leave them to sort it out themselves???

[jackian]

A few weeks ago I had my new girls separated and they were in a separate coup ( well a small plastic dog kennel) and after they had been mixing together a while I decide to take the small coup awAy. In the afternoon I picked them up and put them in the old girls coup on their own and just let them come out in their own so they knew where to go.
In the evening they were slightly confused and for a while sat on the spot where their coup had been .
After a while the old girls had already gone to bed and they just went in on their own . ..it amazed me as I was thinking I would have a problem . They have gone in together ever since and I'm sure it helped the bonding .
I am sure every one does it different but it worked for me .

[barkingmad]

I think because I distracted them the pecking order has not been set yet.
Even now I just popped out and there is one from either side trying to out do each other.. puffing up trying to peck so I think it may take a day or so.

Also the new girls are not good on a perch at the moment, very wobbly. I have higher perches for the other girls but I'v had to make a make shift perch so the new girls can try when they are ready.
They are definitely loving the space and freedom to jump and flap about.
But I don't think they will be able to get out the way of my older girls unless they are very nimble and quicker.

I will get a water bottle for later. And sudacream just in case..

fingers crossed for later

Thank you for your advice

[Chookaholic]

When i got new additions i kept them seperate for a week then opened the door and let them get on with it . It resulted in 5 minutes of madness and the 2 top hens from each group forming a truce and theyre now both top chooks

it wasnt nice and at one point the two top hens really went for it but it was over quickly and relatively painlessly although my Araucana did enjoy picking at the bottom hens for some time but soon got bored with it

they all have their moments but generally they get on .....

Good luck with your little gang!