How Quickly Does Albendazole Work?

[Jane 20]

We got our three new girls on Friday - Clarissa, an amber star, Sadie , a speckedly and Susie a skyline, the are all absolutely gorgeous and we love them already. We put the end of the omlet run inside our large run as an introductory area for them and only let them mingle with our two existing girls (Henrietta a GN and Olivia a MP) ocassionaly but both of them immediately set upon the new girls who are really scared now. Henrietta is a real bully and even goes up to their run and tries to scare them. There is not much room in the little run for all three (they seem happy in there though and are eating etc) - how long does the intregaration period normally take? are we doing the right thing? Advice please..

They are all sleeping in the eglu which I shut up at night and let them out about 6.30 they are being bullied then to and won't come out until the big girls are completely out of the run. I do hope they can all be happy together.

[Hen Watch]

Hi. I introduced 1 hen after I had only had the Omlet girls 4 weeks. The Omlet girls turned nasty, pecking, feather pulling, jumping on her. It lasted about 8 days then settled down fully after a month. When they free ranged it was fine as she could run/fly away but in the run it got nasty. So I personally ended up putting the new girl in the children's wendy house during the day when I was not around, let them free range together when I was in, then putting her in through the eggport when the others were asleep so they all slept together.

 

You are introducing 2 which is much better as they can only pick on one at a time. Whether I did the right thing I will never know. Maybe I should have just let them fight it out and resolve the pecking order on their own.

 

As long as there is no blood drawn it should settle down in time.

 

If they are in the run together perhaps you can put a row of garden canes down the middle to separate them.

 

Also do have 2 or more feeding stations. Get some more bowls (or I've bought an extra grub and glug) so they can all get to the food.

[Jane 20]

Thanks for replying - the new girls have the glug and grub in their mini run (inside the big run) which is working well. Both sets of hens are separated its only when we let the new girls out into the big run that the trouble starts - even the OH couldn't bear to see the little amber star get bullied by both the big girls and had to intervene. We have been advised not to let them free range yet, so do I just keep them separate and see what happens?

[Egluntyne]

I am introducing a new girl at the mo.

 

She is in an Eglu inside the walk in run, so they can all see, hear and smell eachother.

 

I sprinkle all treats along the bottom of the Eglu run to accustom them to eatong together, and after a week I will let her out with them, choosing a decent day, so that I can supervise.

 

There was a lot of squaring up to eachother through the bars initially, but this has settled, but I know when I mingle them there will be skirmishes for a few days.

 

Super soaker at the ready to blast anyone who really misbehaves. A short sharp cold wet shock puts the bullies in their place.

 

I have used this method twice before and it works well.

 

Peace usually breaks out within 3 weeks.

[Jane 20]

That sounds a similar set up to us - I will try the treats tip and keep them separate until the weekend when I will stand by with the sprinkler, fingers crossed.

I just feel so sorry for my new girls

 

If they are still being bullied after the weekend should I then continue to keep them separate after that (I am at work all day)?

 

Thanks for your help Egluntine this would be so stressful without advice from the forum

[peanut12]

we had a similar situation when we introduced our Bluebelle and Sussex to our GN & MP. They settled down a bit after 2 days but still had a pop every now and then.

 

Once they were all laying, tranquility was restored

[Jules.]

We got two new girls on Saturday. We haven't let them mix, they are kept apart by the netting, the old girls are in their usual bit at the bottom of the garden, & the newies are free ranging on the lawn ( for lawn read meadow, the grass is soooo long!) & sleeping in the shed at night!

We had lots of shouting on Saturday night, which was a bit as it was the lovely Bank Holiday Sautrday evening & I'm sure lots of folk were in their gardens, we had less shouting yesterday & hardly any today, so things are calming down

We will let them all sleep together Tuesday night & see what happens then.

[Jane 20]

we had lots of indignant shouts from the older girls at 4.30 am on Saturday!! I eventually had to let them out at 6.30 despite fox worriest.Things have quietened down now with just the odd grumble,as long as the newbies keep in there run!

[BeckyBoo]

It will settle, as long as they can see and hear each other, then put them to bed together at night so they can get used to each others smell. Someone told me once to give them all a light dusting in mite powder when they're in the nest at night so they all smell the same. But there will be pecking, it's not called a pecking order for nothing, and to a certain extent you are best off gritting your teeth and letting them get on with it. As long as they're not actually killing each other! If you let them free range that can be a good time for proper introductions, as long as the new girls know their way around the garden so know the places to hide. We found on all of our new introductions, peace was most easily established when they were all busy eating and only bumped into each other by accident.

 

It's a stressful time for you but they will get on in a few weeks. (Sounds ages, but it will pass quickly enough)

 

Mrs B

[Jane 20]

Thank you all - you have been v helpful and reassuring I will continue to keep them separate during the day until next weekend and then start to integrate them - it will mean getting up early in the morning to sort them out for the day - but they're worth it

I promise photos soon, then you can all admire them