Right, well this morning I decided to bite the bullet, and let all the girls play out together. (7 newbies - aged 19 weeks) and 3 older ones (aged about a year old). When I got the new ones (a week ago) I put them in the main coop/run, and moved my existing 3 to smaller temporary accommodation (but they have been playing out everyday since) they have been able to see each other, and the older ones could peck at the newbies through the mesh of the run.
Anyway the older ones had been playing out for about 4 hours, I scattered lots and lots of corn around (which confused the heck out of them - corn is usually a tea time treat!)
There was quite a racket and lots of puffing up of feathers, and there were a couple of times that I was tempted to intervene. The head chicken of the older flock, and the head chicken of the new flock didn't take well to each other, and the older one flew onto the younger ones back, and sort of pinned her down, but then the younger one decided to run away, and the older one slunk off looking very huffy and annoyed. There was also a guilty looking chicken with a feather in her beak and a bit of pecking at each other's combs, but as far as I can see, no blood, and no one looking injured. There were a couple of minor squables after that, and my lovely lowest-in-the-pecking-order (of the older flock) seemed to be separating the fighters, and generally keeping the peace. It reminded me of the scenes you get outside rough pubs, late at night.
Anyway, that was all at about 10 - 11 ish, and now it's all pretty calm out there, most of the newbies are staying inside the run, or hiding under the rose bushes behind the coop, but it all seems pretty calm and quiet - until I go over to them, as soon as I get to the gate, they all start up, squabbling again, nothing vicious, but lots of sqwalking and puffing of feathers. (maybe they think I've got more treats). The older ones seem to be patrolling their favourite spot, (which is also where their feeeder and drinker are) but the newbies have a feeder and drinker in their run, and as it's so hot, I've put an extra drinker out there too.
So, should I leave them too it, but listen out for sqwalking. Or put the new ones back into their run for a bit?
I'm very new to this side of chicken keeping, so any advice about what to do next, or pointers/critisisms/feedback on what I've done so far would be very much appreciated.
Thanks very much, you lovely people. Nx
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I can't help, but will follow this thread as we are going to get a few more in a few weeks.
We had a horror of a hen in our original lot and it had to go. I gave her to a friend to keep a solo bird company. He is not a soppy keeper like me and just put her straight in. The old matriarch threw ours on the ground, gave her a bit of a kicking, then a kiss and within the hour they were pecking and scratching together and roosted side by side through the cold, best friends since - a win/win result
I will also watch this thread with interest as I got two point of lay bantys a week ago, my existing three are a year old. I haven't dared put them together yet. They are separated by wire so can see each other and I have given the bantys their own coop in their portion of the run. I too am unsure of my next move.
ChickenCarol wrote: I too am unsure of my next move.
Your next move is to take it slowly and not to panic ..and have some at the ready .
4 lovely girls~~ Clover, the oldie and top chick Bonnie second in command .new girls Bluebell and Blossom. 2 lovely new girls 19-01-2015~~ Chelsea and Ruby. Eva , Florry , Poppy ,Annie and Rosie R.I.P The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.” - unknown
ChickenCarol wrote: I too am unsure of my next move.
Your next move is to take it slowly and not to panic ..and have some at the ready .
I like it. :-)
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I think ours were about seven weeks before they really settled together. We got two newbies, and the two older girls were very, very mean. In the end we divided the run and OH made a small temporary hut for the new girls.
We did put all four together for very short periods in an external run, and I ringmastered the scraps with a long stick. I couldn't bear to see the younger, but same size girls get such a raw deal, and one, Rosie, who has died recently was terrified of the older girls, moving away from them even when they were eventually put together.
This thread is brilliant timing. I am introducing four new birds to three original incumbents.
I have split both the run and the coop with separate entrances. I have tried a few introductory swap overs which have generally resulted in hissy fits and scrapping.
Thanks to previous threads on this topic I am reassured that everything I am seeing, though delinquent and distressing, is normal behaviour. So it takes times and gradually I expect them to just get on with it and they will freedom to run together.
As for the coop, I had split the coop with a simply barrier to separate them. Tonight I have removed the barrier in the coop so they are settling down together. I think I have read somewhere that at coop time they are all relaxed.
I looked in tonight and it was a picture, my heart sang. There they all were snuggled up together. I will still separate them during the day but we are making good progress.
Good luck to you all and really welcome stories from others about how they approach this nerve shredding operation.
delphine was my longest integration nearly 3 weeks Marilyn my quickest overnight roughly about a week but I use separation in day and twilight intros for an hour or so and sleep together from day 1 all hens are different and you will kinda know when its time my new babies have been integrating for 2 weeks including this week and since Friday they have been together with big hens in garden and last 3 days in coop for a couple of hours at a time me with spray gun at hand no one has bothered them my top girl has given them a "im top girl bokk" on the head this afternoon when I gave them all some fruit the babies took it without a ruffle and then everone has got on fine until bedtime and she wanted them to go in the coop bbefore her and couldn't understand why they were sat at m y feet confused the hell out of her
[center]HELPING THE LITTLE BROWN GIRLS OF THIS WORLD FIND FOREVER HOMES Humble chicken maid to a happy little flock Frankii Whippers leading the way with Dorey,Prila(aka Mrs Brown),Ann-a-Lou Greta, Delphine my adorable silkie,my twin girls Lana and Boudica (aka The Jedward Twins ) ,Augustine Eizabeth(aka Pippy), Rheima, Marnie and Fleur aka little miss chatterbox[/center]
Still loving and missing Skinnie Minnie and Queenie xx
Marlene you taught me how to live and laugh again xx
Isabella my darling top hen ,you stole my heart xx
Porscha my sweet little girl ,you left so suddenly xx
I have 3 speckledy hens, and had had them about 3 weeks before i went and bought 2 lovely little silkies. I am coming to the end of the 3rd week of having the new silkies now, and dare i say it....they seem to be getting better. Its been a long process, of keeping apart, chicken wire to seperate , putting in together late at night after others have been perching for a bit. Small visitis all together, and me or husband standing over them with a water gun! Phew. had great advice off Mad Chick, who told me all of the above, and that it could take a couple of weeks to sort, and indeed it had. They were really evil to the silkies when they first went in and the nice weather of late has helped, as ive been sitting in the garden with them (on days off and weekends) to keep an eye and let them spend more time together. The neighbours must be having a great time watching me! A process that i thought would be easy, hasnt been, but i think we have now tunrned a corner. I hope so anyway.
Good luck
Wendy x
Keeper of Chickens, Lover of Firefighters, mother of two.[/color]
The new girls are particularly secure in their run, so I don't want to spin it out ... but experience tells me they all go their own speed. So we'll try a bit longer each day until they settle down. Then one night I'll put the newbies in the coop and let them get on with it .. they get up at first light, and by my early start (07.30 is early to me!) have been on the go for a few hours already!
It's good that you take it in a 'natural' fashion because that's how the chickens are acting - it's the way they work and we can't really do much about it (unless it turns into a blood bath which is very rare).
Maybe I'm wrong, but I put new Hens in at night. They're in an enclosed Run so can go into that at sun up. I wander up there usual time and sure quite often there's a punch up going on, but not the whole time, they're just getting to grips with it all.
Remember it isn't just about who's Number 1. It's about No.2., No.3 and so on.
It always reminds me of a Boy Scout Patrol!!
Richard
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Thanks everyone, It seems to be going quite well, and we've had our first eggs from the newbies! (I had forgotten how tiny the first eggs are!) there is still a bit of scrapping going on, and although it can look horrific, and a few girls are missing a couple of feathers, there is no sign of any injuries/blood, and they do spend most of their time quietly avoiding each other.
One of the newbies has taken to hiding in my rose bush, and she likes getting right inside it, climbing up and perching on the branches, I've got lots of feed and water points, so i've moved one of each to close to the rose bush, so she can get them without having to stray too far (the lower branches are fab for hanging the feeder from - so I may keep it there in future).
I've got two coops, and the girls can choose which one to go into, so of course they all pile into the tiny one, leaving one girl alone in the biggest one! Nutters! Have they not read the DEFRA regulations!!!
Thanks for all your help, I'll keep you posted! Nx
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I put our girls together for half an hour before bedtime last night. I didn't go too badly but it is hard to watch when it kicks off. There was a bit of raised feathers, hard stares and some pecking. I will keep doing this each evening for now until things improve.
at the ready .
