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joybelle

introducing new chooks

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Hi everyone,

I`ve got 4 omlet girls who arrived together and a cube with 3 metre

run and would love to get another 2 or 3 chooks.

My question is how would they all get along at the begining as I`ve only

got one place for them all.

As anyone done this successfully or could it be a disaster and what then

would I do with the new girls if war broke out.

My gingernuts are very docile but the 2 pepperpots can be very fiery

and they sometimes peck at the gingernuts.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

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Hi,

 

When we introduced our new girl, we were advised to do it slowly so the other girls dont start bullying her, so we kept them apart at night to start off and for the first few days kept an eye on them in the garden together. They didn't like the idea of a stranger on their patch and there was a bit of pecking to start off with but you have to be tough and only intervene if they get stressed or it gets nasty. :evil: They have to establish the pecking order on their terms, no matter how hard it is to watch! We then put them in together over night and since then they have had no problems whatsoever, like one big happy family! We still have the tussle at bedtime about who gets the best spot though :D

 

If you are introducing two that should be easier at least the two have each other for company to start off with :D

 

I was also told that you can introduce them easily by putting them together in a box and then taking them for a short drive around the block, apparantly they bond quickly when they are thrown together in unfamiliar territory. Never tried this one so..........

 

I would love to get another couple of girls so I say def go for it :!::!:

 

What girls have you got :?:

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I'm in the process of introducing two newbies (Pepper and Nutmeg) to my resident bantam (Angelica). I got them on Sunday afternoon and I've been letting them sleep together in the eglu at night, because they are drowsy and docile when it's dark, but separating them during the day using a mesh panel halfway down the eglu run (with food and water in both halves).

 

At least, that was the plan! In the last couple of days the weather has been so foul (no pun intended!) that I've removed the barrier to make sure they all have access to the eglu. Tonight snow and freezing temperatures are forecast - when I just checked, they were all huddled together at the back of the eglu so I shut the door for extra insulation.

 

Letting them establish their pecking order takes patience and nerves! Pepper has been pulling Angelica's feathers when she gets too close, and Angelica squawks a lot and is getting a bit stir-crazy, but luckily that's about the worst of it so far. Weather permitting I'll let them free-range at the weekend - cross fingers I won't have to resort to bumper bits!

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I've literally just finished introducing new girls. I made them a separate temporary house and run (just chicken wire with a plastic cover for the run) for during the day and put them in the eglu with the old ones at night. Each morning for a couple of days I lifted them out of the egg port and put them back in their run. After 3 days I let them freerange together for short periods and separated them when it got nasty. The noise from the old ones was horrendous at first, but they got over it. They were OK freeranging as long as the newbies had room to run away. On the 5th night they put themselves to bed in the eglu and the old ones joined them. Things improved each day from then on. Putting bowls of food and water in different places helped a lot so the babies could eat without being bullied. Good luck!

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I am also going to introduce two new hens to my two next weekend :D and I was thinking about putting bumper bits on my two old girls to stop any feather pulling- is that a good idea or not??

Many thanks

Julia xx

 

I wouldn't use Bumpa bits unless you have to.

 

Any pecking order stuff should settle reasonably quickly if "supervised.

 

If there is persistent feather pulling, that is the time to use the Bumpa bit.

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