Egluntyne Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I have been meaning for a while to merge my two little flocks of 4 hens each into one larger one of 8. I plan to get a walk in run (and maybe a cube!) and move them all to the top of the garden. They have been alongside each other for about 18 months, virtually ignoring one another....although there was a bit of name calling when I got the second flock (Team B) who were in fact a year older than my original Omlet girls (Team A) Anyroad up, today I moved the Omlet netting about so that they were only separated by that. It was very interesting. I imagined that Team B would be aggressive and nasty and that Team A would be subservient. Not a bit of it. They were all very wary at first, and when I sprinkled lots of interesting food along the bottom of the netting, they all cautiously helped themselves and then ran off to eat and then came back for more. There was one incident where Dixie Chick (Team B) and Kentucky (Team A) squared up to eachother and then launched an attack. I waded in with a broom handle and peace broke out. They then pottered about, ignoring each other. I shall repeat this everyday that I am home and will let them free range together without the netting when they are more used to being up close. So far so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Sounds like an excellent plan. You are doing exactly the right thing by doing a gradual introduction between the teams. It took us about a week, but of course you have bigger teams! What will they be called when team A & B are merged?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 30, 2008 Author Share Posted January 30, 2008 What will they be called when team A & B are merged?! Oooh...Haven't thought that far ahead! I'm open to suggestions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Team Chicken? Glad they seem to be getting on okay. Take it slowly, as you are doing and they will be one big happy family in a few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 30, 2008 Author Share Posted January 30, 2008 Take it slowly, as you are doing and they will be one big happy family in a few days. I hope so! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 18 months eh? That must hold the record for the longest introduction time ever! Sounds like they will all be one big happy family very soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 And I thought I took my time with the introductions . I had my ex-batts and my omlet girls side by side, separated by netting, for a couple of months. One day I just took the netting away. There was about an hour of skirmishes - Cluck making sure everyone knew she was boss - and then it all went quiet and peace has reigned ever since. They still get the odd peck from Cluck as a reminder that she 'rules the roost' but it was really quite painless. I think if they have time to get used to the idea that they share the garden with other birds they accept it more easily (a bit like us humans I suppose). However my girls still sleep in separate houses and I supose they always will, unless I force the issue. Cluck once spent the night with the 'brownies' and left poor Jo tucked up on her own, but never again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I have visions of a group of chickens in Red tops and a group of chickens in Blue tops scoring points off each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfamily Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 we had 2 teams of chooks last year in 2 eglus............when they started to freerange together they all started to lay eggs in each others eglus and eat each others food. In the end I just put them all in together to see what would happen..............they all went to sleep in one eglu and have been very happy together ever since Eglutine - apart from a few incidents of sizing each other up, they should settle in together just fine..............keep us updated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riane Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 oooo...sounds exciting you should work for The United Nations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 30, 2008 Author Share Posted January 30, 2008 oooo...sounds exciting you should work for The United Nations It is more laziness on my part than diplomacy. I should have done it a while ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 2, 2008 Author Share Posted February 2, 2008 Another good day.They are still separated by Omlet netting only. All treats sprinkled on both sides of netting and they ate without any nastiness. I think they were so bemused with the snow that they forgot to be wary. Will continue loke this for a couple of weeks and then pluck up the courage to combine them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...