2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[TheChookKeeper]

Hello all,

 

After the theft of 2 of my chickens months ago (which many of you may have been party to my rants over!), I finally got around to replacing them on Tuesday.

 

I picked up 2 black rocks (or something very similar!) from a local breeder on Tuesday afternoon, to add to my remaining "flock" of 4 ginger rangers (who have been in residence for almost a year now).

 

Anyway - I don't have a seperate house to keep them in, so I took advice from the breeder (and this forum, and a few books), and decided to go for a mix and match approach to their introductions!

 

On that Tuesday afternoon, I left the rangers in their Eglu run (cube), and had the 2 new ones in the "outer run" (which is just an area of garden fenced off, so they can't eat too many plants!).

 

That seemed to go well, there was some pecking through the bars, but nothing I didn't expect.

 

They stayed like that until the end of the day (including one escape from one of the black rocks - her wings have now been clipped!)

 

I thought it would be best to keep them apart that night, so as the weather was OK, I left the rangers in the run, and she the new girls in the house (not sure if that was a good idea or not). They roosted on the ladder, and didn't seem TOO bothered by the ordeal.

 

ANYWAY - following day, I was going to be out all morning, so I decided it was best to keep them apart still, so let the rangers out into the garden run, and left the rocks in the eglu run.

 

Again, this seemed to go fine. When I got home later that afternoon, I decided the moment of truth had come, and I let them out together.

There was a fair bit of feather grabbing from the gingers against the rocks, but again, nothing too horrible. They wern't persuing them mercilessly or anything!

 

So, I let them back in the eglu run (and hence, house) together. Hoping them would be OK.

The rocks went into the house (with some persuasion) when it got dark, but the rangers refused, camping out on the ladder again.

 

They then spent the day (until about 6pm) in the eglu run together. By all accounts, that didn't go splendidly well - the rocks got picked on quite a lot, and ended up living in the doorway of the house.

 

I let the gingers into the garden at about 6pm, so the rocks could come out and get some food and water before it got dark.

 

Today, they didn't make any noise this morning, when they woke up, whereas yesterday they were squarking away for about 1/2 hour. The rocks are in the house, looking out the door.

 

 

SO - after all this rambling, my actual questions are:

 

Have I done everything completely wrong, and ruined my chooks lives for ever more?

Should I be seperating them still? All the time, some of it? At night?

 

Any other comments at all?!?

 

I am trying to believe this is all normal, but I am worried that although the rocks are showing no signs of physical damage at all, I'm concerned that they are going to start to show signs of mental trauma!

 

Thanks!

[Gallina]

This is something you just have to let them get on with. The new ones won't be at all shocked: this is what they expect from hens higher up the pecking order. One day (regrettably) they will probably do the same in turn -- my darling little innocent harmless babies all have.

 

Unless there is really nasty bullying going on and nowhere for the victims to escape, I would try to ignore it. Make sure that any hens stuck in a corner have some food and water there.

 

I am afraid you're stuck between the Rocks and the Gingers' place....

[MedusA]

If you have facilities for gradual introductions, that is best, but if you haven't, you just have to try it and see. Like Gallina says, just make sure they all have access to food and water. The pecking order disputes have to be resolved and unless there is full scale bullying, it's best to let them get on with it.

 

Just one question. I wasn't sure from your post if you meant that the girls were left out, unattended in an unenclosed run? If so, my concern would be foxes. I would hate your girls to be at risk.

 

Hope the introduction goes well.

[NClaire]

I'm currently introducing 2 new POL hens to a 1 year old Goldline (the same as your ranger). I started off by letting them into the run together, but she chased the newbies too much, and they were becoming scared to come into the run. SO I put Dopey (the Goldline) into a rabbit hutch looking at the run.

 

We're now a week in, and the biggest challenge I found was feeding - there wasn't TOO much pecking, but they wouldn't really feed together, and the new girls wouldn't come out if Dopey was there. So I've divided the run into two, with food and water on each side of the divide and that is going well. Last night one of the new ones got onto Dopey's side (by pulling out a garden cane(!), and there was no flapping or squawking, so will give them a couple more days and then go for full on mixing!

 

 

 

 

My hope is that having been together like this, the new girls will have gained enough confidence to assert themselves a little more in the run, and then all should be happy!

[Helen&Lee]

I think now you have got past the first few days without too much trauma you are halfway there and to carry on observing but leave them to it.

 

I introduced two to 7 about 3 weeks ago now in a similar way, although I did have another house and could have split their big run I decided to try it out.

 

The worst thing for me was Bertha, one of the original ones was so affronted she wouldn't shut up bokking for days

There has been chasing, but no voilent attacks - the old ones are actually attacking my current broody more.

 

The two new ones still tend to keep some distance, but at treat time they come rushing to the door of the run like the others and tuck in as fast as they can until noticed - they then retreat to the back of the run where they find some treats I've thrown down for them.

[mrsm_jones]

When I put my mummy hen and her chicks in with the other 2 big girls, Nugget kept having a go at Kiev (the mummy). When I saw Nugget peck Kiev, I said "NO! Naughty Chicken!" in a stern voice and after an hour, peace was restored! Think I've just been lucky though, my chooks are so placid and laid back! As long as the end result is everyone getting along harmoniously, and no one gets badly injured in the process, then it will all be fine.

[TheChookKeeper]

Thanks everyone

 

I gave them some microwaved weetabix on day 2, in 2 bowls, and they all came out for some of that - it helped that the existing rangers were so obsessed with eating it, they didn't notice the rocks come out!

 

As I say, the rocks have no visible damage at all - I am quite surprised, not even any feathers laying around.

The rangers seem to go for grabbing a whole mouthful of feathers and pulling... then letting go when the rock runs off. None have been pulled out yet - as far as I can see!

 

It may be helping, as the rangers (from Omlet) all (but one) have slightly malformed beaks - their lower beak sticks out further than their upper beak, and they all have at least 1 wonky toe (they came like this - I haven't been mistreating them!).

I wonder if their funny beaks stop them from doing too much damage.

 

Certainly, the new rocks have beaks like birds of prey! And talons to match! They look FAR nastier than my existing disabled rangers!

[stoice]

my ex-batt, Gladys, had been de-beaked so has a serious 'underbite' and sadly it hasn't stopped her pecking Babs' botty till it bled. Got a bumper bit on order for her now to break her from her bum fascination - i hope the bit won't stop her eating if the top part of her beak is stubby -Anyone else used one on a de-beaked bird?)

 

Just keep an eye on them, my new girls look like raptors in comparison and I'd hate to think what damage they could do if they turned 'demon' or pecked till there was blood.

 

Good luck