all_organic Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 Well we have just got home with Phyllis a beautiful Amber Lee and Priscilla a gorgeous Speckled Star and have got them settling into the new extended run and eglu, however our ever faithful Patience is free ranging out side clucking and voicing her disdain in equal measure but they are also sizing eachother up... Question, is it right to leave Patience to free range while the other two are closed in the run or should we have all 3 of them together to get the pecking order over with as quickly as possible? Sugggestions Please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all_organic Posted March 15, 2008 Author Share Posted March 15, 2008 Any advice, anybody? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 i would keep them seperate. It took us about a week. Keep the new ones in the run whilst the others are freeranging and then swap them around. This way they get used to seeing each other whilst not being able to attack each other. They get used to each others smell etc aswell. What are you planning to do about sleeping? We had a makeshift home and run for the "newies" next to the original eglu and the new girls stayed in that for a week before we put them in the run together. When we felt comfortable we let them freerange altogether in the garden (with supervision) and then the new girls had room to run away from any attacks. I wouldnt confine them all to the same run at this early stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 I just typed the post below, then realised Chelsea has posted (saying the opposite ). She's got experience of introductions so I would go with her . Sorry you've not had a response yet - everyone must be out cleaning their eglus/cubes . (Not me .) I'm planning a single introduction sometime soon and am interested in people's experiences. I believe it's a good idea to let them freerange together - there may be some spats but the new girl will have room to escape. I would go for it and watch in case it gets nasty. Good luck and keep us posted (I want all the advice I can get ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 no worries ANH A gradual introduction worked very well for us anyway( other people might do different)...we had minimal pecking/fighting. Some people put their new chooks in at night the first night but still keep them seperate by day - that also might work if you dont have a spare house/makeshift home for the newies. The eglu run is quite restrictive if a new chook needs to run away, so when confined best to keep them seperate for a little while. up to you though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all_organic Posted March 15, 2008 Author Share Posted March 15, 2008 Well i'm afraid, we dont have a spare house, nor do we have the time to make a makeshift run and somewhere for the new chooks to sleep so it's going to have to be letting the new chooks out to free range with Patience and see what happens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 (edited) thats fine, other people dont either. Just be prepared for lots of pecking and bullying for a while. Just keep an eye on the new chooks. Edited March 15, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 Just thought of another idea I have seen photos of other people's runs when introducing. They put some garden canes down through the middle of the exisiting run to make the run 2 seperate runs...this is good because the girls can see each other but cant peck each other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all_organic Posted March 15, 2008 Author Share Posted March 15, 2008 Thanks Chelsea... That is a good idea, we did see that on another topic so may give that a go... We are going to let them out in a mo and see what carnage ensues... Will update later... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 I did the whole "divide up the run during the day, put them all in the eglu at night" routine when introducing two newbies to one resident hen, with great success - after about a week of this, they were perfectly alright together and have shared the eglu run quite happily ever since. There was a bit of feather-tugging at first, mainly first thing in the morning before I separated them, but they soon got over it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie26pet Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 we was told to do ours at night time introduce, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all_organic Posted March 15, 2008 Author Share Posted March 15, 2008 Well, so far not too bad. We've left the run door open, so everybody is free to come and go as they please. So far, Patience (existing) has had a couple of pecks at Phyllis, with some squaking, and a small chase round the garden, but things seem to have settled down for a bit. Interestingly, Patience and the other new one, Priscilla, are fine, though Priscilla seems a bit nervous of Patience. We're wondering if Patience thinks Priscilla is Petunia (RIP) - similar colourings, well grey and black. No easy way of doung this is there, and now it's raining, just to make things more difficult Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 as it's 2 newbies to 1 oldie you should be fine, as the oldie won't be able to bully both! WHen I got a new one to replace a deceased girl I put her straight into the run while my oldie was free-ranging. There was a lot of flapping at each other and attempted pecking through the bars but I then took newbie out adn put her into a box and let oldie back into the run/eglu until she was in bed then popped newbie in with her. All fine. Next day I left them both in the run together as advised and there was a bit of pecking but it sorted out within a day or 2. I too had nowhere else to put anybody so it just had to be get on with it. But they are now best of friends! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 I've just let them freerange and mixed straight away. I try lifting the newbie in when the others are safely roosting if she doesn't go on her own (wait a while). A few days in she will probably go in on her own anyway. The only problem I had was that Megan started flying off, so I ended up shutting her in for a few days with Abbie/watching her. I found adding 2 to 2 worse than 1 to 2 for some reason. About 3 weeks in it gets a lot better and I didn't have really bad bullying until Megan arrived as she seems to inspire bullying from other chickens. Trinny used to jump on her back, press her to the ground and peck, then the others would come and join in. It didn't get better until Trinny died with Megan, but all other introductions went fine (Beth, Katy, Abbie). I would only intervene if a chicken seemed injured. If it is more chasing/surface pecks than I leave them to it, and it looks worse than it is. Ultimately it makes them happy to have a pecking order sorted. People advise taking out the bully if there are problems, rather than the victim. A reason for not introducing straight away might be to observe the new bird for health problems e.g. lice that they might introduce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
