Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[munchkin]

We have had a very stressful weekend. On friday at 4pm our lovely Margot was taken by a fox. We had stupidly let both Barbara and Margot out of their lovely new 12x12ft enclosure to free range. Whilst our backs were turned the fox took Margot. By some miracle Barbara must have hid and appeared completely unhurt.

 

We now had the horrid situation that Barbara was on her own so decided to get her a new friend yesterday.

 

Last night they didn't sleep together - Barbara in the eglu and newbie in a large cat carrier. We couldn't get hold of a hutch. In the morning (after Barbara had laid her egg) I swapped them over so newbie was in eglu run and Barbara was loose in the enclosure. All seemed OKish, we have put seperate food out for both so no squabbles for food and earlier today sprinkled treats along the eglu run so they can enjoy together but seperated by the run.

 

I then let newbie out of eglu run into main enclosure and Barbara at first chased her and pecked her neck. At first they seemed fine but once Barbara had made the first peck she seemed to continue.

 

I have read that you can let them free range in the garden together (supervised) with net to seperate - is this too early or shall I give it a try?

 

I'm hoping for some words of wisdom.

 

Thanks in advance

[Egluntyne]

You could certainly give it a try.

 

If Barbara pecks the new girl, make her submit to you by gently pressing her down to get her to crouch. It reinforces the idea that she is not top of the pile....you are.

 

Try to encourage the sharing of treats....many of the squabbles are over food issues.

 

You could also put them in the Eglu together at night, to get them used to each other. If you spray them both with Tea Tree oil it may help too as they will smell the same and there will be one less difference to mark them out from each other.

 

Good luck.

[BeckyBoo]

Sorry to hear about your sad weekend and ditto to what Egluntine has said. If you haven't got tea tree even dusting them both in mite powder will help them smell the same. ALso definitely put them in to be together as they are normally too dozy to fight but be prepared to seperate them early on if needs be tomorrow. You probably will have several days of pecking whilst they sort themselves out, would you consider getting another one? Then if anything were to happen again you wouldn't be left with a lone chicken and also I sometimes think it can be easier introducing more than one at a time as then the attention isn't all concentrated on one chicken.

 

Hope they get on together soon, good luck - it will settle by the way

 

Mrs B

[munchkin]

Thankyou eglutine and Mrs B for your responses. I'll try and put them together tonight once smelling the same!

[alih]

when i lost one of my two chickens they were about 22 weeks old and I got a new one straight away who was about the same age. I put them together immediately having done what you did and put the new one into the eglu run to get her used to it for a couple of hours. there was some pecking for a couple of days but nothing nasty so i would echo what the others have said - if they are not too different in age it probably won't be more thana couple of days before they are friends!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

So sorry to hear about poor Margot . I hope your new girl settles in quickly .