4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Jules.]

We have put the new girls into the eglu to roost with the oldies, but things aren't going to plan All 4 girls woke up & now it's pitch black in the garden & I can still hear hens bokking. There's no way I can separate them now tonight, just hope that they have all made friends in the morning

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Oh dear . They'll surely settle down soon - if it's pitch black they won't bok bok for long hopefully!

[daj198]

Hopefully they'll go to sleep soon. Maybe they're just deciding who gets to sleep in the nestbox. They can't carry on forever...

[Karen Pimlott]

you should of done it when it was properly dark, if it was still light is just the same as introducing them in the day.... hope all is well in the morning.

If there is any blood on them you will have to seperate as the other chickens will just keep on pecking till it gets nasty.

 

Fingers x'd they are all safe in the morning as they are two lovely birds you picked.

 

good luck & let us know how you get on.

 

K.

[Sheilaz]

You can't help it if they woke up Jules & I'm not surprised they were vocal at that stage, they like to tell the world if there are strangers in the bed!

 

They'll have to establish the pecking order at some stage & there's lots to read about different introduction methods & success stories. You do need to check for injuries, but generally each night & day that passes gets easier, & the young new ones will most likely show their submission & not feel too much of a threat to the others.

 

Have plenty of feed & water stations rather than one or two while they're new. Scattering mixed corn gives everyone something to do & also gives the message that there's enough to go round.

 

It can be quite vicious while they establish the order, so be aware but don't stand over them, it often sets them off more.

 

Good luck, looking forward to hearing more about your 2 lovely new girls

[Egluntyne]

It was bound to happen sooner or later Jules.

 

Distraction with food works well, although the laying might be affected for a few days, but I don't suppose that really matters too much.

 

Encouraging them to eat treats together is good for team building, and as Sheila says, if they see that there is enough for everyone, they will stop viewing each other as a threat.

 

Good luck.

[kaylis1980]

how did they go in the end??

[Jules.]

When I last checked on them about 10.40 Rosa the new speckledy was in the nest box like she'd been there all her life Gertrude was on the roosting bars at the back opposite the door, Buzz was next to her by the wall & Poppy was in the run I decided that as it wasn't cold I could leave them to it to sort themselves out.

This morning there has been no noise, but the babies haven't yet come out of the eglu. It's raining really hard, Buzz & Poppy are out of the run getting really wet, so hopefully the new girls will venture out soon now that they are out of the way. If not then I'll scoop them out through the eggport, or take the top off!

Someone had laid an egg in the nestbox so there must have been some shuffling around in the eglu this morning- unless I get my first 3-egg day!

Thanks for all the advice & concern. Our new girls have shown their characters, Gertrude is top chook of the newiws, & Rosa loves to sit on our kness

[Laura & CTB]

It's a relief to hear things settled down eventually Jules. Hope it all goes well today.

[Karen & co.]

Glad to hear that they seem to have settled

 

I'll be integrating the 4 new girls soon at the moment they are in the eglu and run inside the walk in run to get used to each other, then I'll do what you did and sneak them in when it's dark

 

Karen x

[Karen Pimlott]

really really pleased all was well this morning and no bloodshed.

 

couldnt wait to check the forum to see how you had all got on

 

hopefully things will now settle down from here on in

 

karen

[Egluntyne]

I let my new girl, Piper, formerly Beauty_Box's Speckle, in with the other girls today, after a week of being in an Eglu in the big run.

 

There was half an hours hideous behaviour and then peace broke out.

 

She had palled up with Nugget and they wandered around together ike old friends.

 

I have found this method of introduction very successful, and it takes the same pattern every time.

 

The hideous half hour is not easy to watch, but it is best to let them get on with it.

 

I expect there will be the odd skirmish over the next few days, but I am pleased that it went well.

 

Am glad to hear that your intro went reasonably smoothly Jules.

[Jules.]

There's still a bit of running & snapping going on , but not that much, about 4 times a day.

I NEED a walk-in run, even hubby says so- in fact I think he's getting a bit stressed about the whole chook thing. Last night he went to put them to bed for me, & found Buzz & Poppy tucked up like good girls, & the others behind the shed perched on the fence looking over the neighbours garden He was all breathless & a bit upset when he came to tell me that he had put everyone away safely, we could have lost them

I have emailled a local shed company who make dog pens which have weldmesh sides with a wooden sleeping bit to see if they will make me just a walk in run, fingers crossed.

Otherwise I like the flyte so fancy houses, because they have a clear roof rather than a dark covered roof.

I got my new 12 months interest free credit card yesterday........ I really shouldn't spend this money, but I'm not confident that all 4 hens will be happy in the run plus extension all the time, as I want to stop them even being in the netted off area- for their safety & my peace of mind.

All this worry for hens!!!!!!!!! I need to get my priorities right

I worked out that in total that when I sell my eglu & netting & run converter I might get near the £300 mark, which should pay for my reconditioned cube and that the "only" extra expense I will have this year is my walk in run *gulp*

 

edit- I was a bit daft & put that I might get £400 for selling my existing set-up

[WitchHazel]

when I sell my eglu & netting & run converter I might get near the £300 mark,

 

Might be worthwhile selling the netting separately to the Eglu. I noticed that, on Ebay, Eglus with extras don't tend to go for much more than standard eglus. (Or you might want to keep the netting anyway. I have a walk in run and setill let the girls out with netting)

[Phosphorus]

I worked out that in total that when I sell my eglu & netting & run converter I might get near the £300 mark, which should pay for my reconditioned cube and that the "only" extra expense I will have this year is my walk in run *gulp*

 

edit- I was a bit daft & put that I might get £400 for selling my existing set-up

 

When are you thinking of selling your Eglu

[Phosphorus]

Oops just realised you are in Lancashire

[Jules.]

Witchhazel, yes I would sell it all separately, I didn't make that clear in my post . As a new chicken owner I only bought my eglu & run at first, & added the other bits at a later stage.

I'm looking for about £235 for the eglu, £25 for the converter & £20 for the netting as it's only 10m in length- I sold the extra 15m of netting on ebay when I bought it new from Omlet, as I only needed 10m anbd 25m is the smallest length they sold.

Phosphorus I am hoping to sell my eglu sometime this year.I am on the waiting list for a reconditioned cube, so it depends when my turn comes.

[Jules.]

Oops just realised you are in Lancashire

A bit too far away?

[Phosphorus]

Well I love Manchester - lived up there for about 5 years a long while ago - could arrange a trip I am probably looking at about 2 months though so might not work

[Jules.]

Well there are quite a few shows Omlet will be going so go to soon!