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[CockADoodleDoo]

heres a pic of my skyline with her big tail if you wanted to compare them.

 

[Guest]

She is just like my Harmonie!

 

Mélodie is the same breed but a buff colour, completely different.

[CockADoodleDoo]

oh i have been looking at the wrong hen all along then! oh well silly me i wouldnt worry about her though and as someone else has said (cant remember who off the top of my head) you will find out soon enough what it is and hopefully you will find out with 2 lovley blue eggs

[Guest]

Here is Harmonie:

 

[AJuff]

Harmonie looks just like my Hermione! I don't have a really good picture of her to post on here. I'll try getting one tomorrow.

[Guest]

Oh dear! Little Echo - a Maran Cuirvrée - has been pecking Mélodie's tail. Poor Mélodie has had several feathers ripped out and is now bleeding and sore. She is asleep indoors.

 

Meanwhile, I thought that maybe Echo is bored in the eglu run and so I divided my walk-in run in half and let Echo and Harmonie have more space (which they have for 2 hours every day anyway). Both Echo and Harmonie jumped onto the Eglu run and over the fence individually. Both were attacked mercilessly by my big girls and had to be rescued.

 

My plan tomorrow was to hope that Mélodie's injury is healed (I don't think it was bad) and to put her back with her friends, but with more space. I was hoping that Echo would be distracted by this and forget about the pecking. But I can't leave them like that if they're going to keep jumping into the enemy camp. I can't leave the big girls in the garden all day; they'd trash it completely and also be at risk from the fox. But if I keep the little ones locked in the Eglu run, which IS plenty big enough for them, Echo may revert to pecking again.

 

Oh dear! I so hate it when it all goes wrong and my plans are thwarted. They are just 16 weeks old, so we have a while to go before they can safely mix.

 

I'm going to have to hook up some distractions for them inside the eglu run. I hope it works!

[pbfhpunk]

Please be very careful aobut putting an injured bird back, I did that with one of mine last week and the others have basically eaten a big chunk from her back, jsut the slightest sight of blood will set them off, mine did have a huge patch of feathers missing from her back though.

 

Sorry don't mean to be a scare mongerer just making you aware of my experience, I'm off to Omlet this afternoon to get another eglu for her.

 

Oh yeah, and get some purple spray for it, it's amazing and our vet was very impressed and it saved us money as we didn't need to get antispetic powder from him!! The purple disguises the blood and it's an antiseptic so will keep the wound clean, it's used for horses and mine is just called 'Purple Spray'! and I got it from someone at work with horses, loads of people here use it so will let you know where you can get it from

 

Helen

[Guest]

Thank you.

 

I got the Purple Spray this morning and it seems to have calmed down the pecking.

 

The difficulty is managing two groups anyway because the little ones are too small to mix yet. Trying to separate a third one at the same time as trying to domesticate them and help them grow more confident in themselves and with me is a fine balance to achieve. Injury and pecking just don't fit into the plan!

[Guest]

I thought I would just report that the Purple Spray has really worked. The 3 little girls are living happily together again and there is no more pecking.

[mrs chook]

Brilliant! Well done

[Guest]

My new 3 hens are supposed to be 19 weeks old today. Echo the Maran Cuirvrée is by far the tiniest, but she has laid a little egg today! It weighs 30g and is that lovely dark brown colour that the Miss Pepperpots lay.

 

The 3 new girls are still permanently separated form the 5 big ladies and yet little Echo knew where to go to lay her egg. It staggers me (still!) that they just know what to do and where to do it. Clever little girl!

[Sheilaz]

I love hearing these stories & I'm glad they are doing well. The novelty hasn't worn off here either.

[moomin]

our Barnevelder has been laying for almost 3 weeks - and we all fight to go and get the egg each day!!

 

it's lovely to get it out of the nest box and it's still warm! I always thank her and tell her what a clever girl she is!

[Guest]

As there seem to be several 'how to introduce more hens' threads going on, I thought I would update my progress. I am in no way an expert, but learning along the way. These are the third introductions I have done.

 

My little ones were almost 16 weeks old when I brought them home. They were too young to mix with the older girls. I have a walk-in pen with two eglus. I attached the eglu run to our orange eglu and the 3 new girls lived in there, with the big girls but not accessible. For the first two weeks the new girls were allowed in the big pen while the older girls were in the garden. I spent time sitting in there with them offering treats. They have learnt true cupboard love and now jump up immediately to explore for treats!

 

For the past week the little girls (18 weeks) have been in the garden with the big girls, but separated by Omlet fencing. The big girls don't seem at all bothered by them. The two groups are let out and put back in separately so that they never actually meet.

 

Last night, I decided it was time for some closer proximity. The new girls are 19 weeks old and one has started laying. I have removed the Eglu run and divided the pen with the Omlet fencing. Both sets are a little unnerved but there have been no confrontations or escapes. Later on in the week, I will put feeders on either side of the fence so that they can start eating together. I will also be sprinkling some corn around so that they are all sharing treats together. Time in the garden will be separate now that the fencing is occupied in the pen.

 

Next week, when the little ones are 20 weeks old and deemed big enough to manage, I will try free-ranging them all together. I am still concerned that the little ones are so nervous that should they be frightened over the garden fence, I would not be able to encourage them back. The Skylines are particularly timid and don't like to be touched.

 

So that's my progress so far - all going well!

 

The fencing in the pen last night caused a problem for Mélodie though. She wanted to roost on it! You know how flimsy it is. She kept sitting up there, while everyone else had gone to bed in the usual place. Then Echo got up and joined her on the fence - two of them roosting on not much more than string! I held the fencing firm for them and they climbed onto my arms, one on each, and tried to roost there instead! Echo jumped down and went back to bed but poor Mélodie was still having trouble with her instincts and tried roosting on my head next. I think the Cube might be an advantage in this respect! Eventually she got down and went to bed in the usual way.

[Snowy]

Oh bless, I can just imagine them trying to roost on your head Where was OH with a camera?

[Guest]

reading his emails and playing Scrabulous!!

[Snowy]

reading his emails and playing Scrabulous!!

 

[Guest]

Yesterday we had a blue egg!!!

 

I'm not sure yet if it is from Mélodie or Harmonie - we'll have to wait and see! Harmonie appeared to be ready first and was always bigger, but Mélodie most definitely has blue earlobes.

 

Mélodie's favourite place still seems to be my back or shoulder. She jumps up EVERY time I go into the run. From my shoulder she can eat the Passion Flower leaves which are growing all over the run.

[Egluntyne]

Great post Ginette. Tht is exactly how I do it. It is well worth being patient and taking things slowly.

 

Congratulations on the blue egg.

 

I have my "Three H's" separated from the big girls by just the omlet netting now, and have done for a week. They are 20weeks old now (Hebe crouched for the first time today!)

 

I noticed half an hour ago that Piper had got onto their side of the netting, and is wandering around with them quite happily. A good sign I hope.

[Guest]

thank you Egluntine!

 

I frequently had intruders on the wrong side of the fence and it seemed to be OK. This week I opened up the fence and allowed full mixing while I was around. It was fine and I was really happy!

 

The next day however the novelty had worn off a bit and some big hens (who should know better) were being quite nasty. It got so bad that I have now separated them again with the Omlet fencing. They are all together while out in the garden, but not in the run. I still get hens leaping over the divider, but it doesn't seem to be too bad that way.

 

I hope your intros continue successfully. Keep me posted!

[Egluntyne]

Will do.

 

Here is a pic of todays escapade. Piper on the left.

 

 

Please excuse the untidy garden....we are having some work done.

[Guest]

Please excuse the untidy garden....we are having some work done.

 

So what's my excuse then?

[Guest]

Just wanted to report some exciting news: both of my new Skylines are laying blue eggs!

 

On the separation/integration front, I'd say things are getting better. I am mixing them in the run most of the time now and things don't get too bad. The little ones keep out of the way most of the time. I'm planning to remove the fence completely very soon. (And reinstall it in the garden where the big girls have trashed my herb garden and my flower bed )

[Guest]

Today is our first 8 Egg day

 

I would say my 8 hens are now fully integrated. About 7 weeks - slow and careful really works!

[lisa33]

Congratulations!!!