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

[pollenbird]

Morning everyone,

 

I just thought that I would post up my experience as I found it really helpful reading everyone elses, and especially the advice from Claret and Eglutine! It's reassuring to read other people's experiences and see how they compare with yours, as well as get different people's opinions!!

 

On Saturday we picked up our 2 new chickens (Amber stars) from Golden Valley Poultry to introduce to our 2 original gingernuts that we've had a year...one of which has not lain an egg for nearly 5 months now, and hence the new additions.

 

We set them up a temporary accomodation in a borrowed dog crate, which doesn't have a huge amount of space but should (fingers crossed!) only be temporary. Seeing them together, the ambers seem to be a bit bigger than our gingernuts...do you think this may be a problem long term?

 

Day 1 - our 2 gingernuts didn't quite know what to make of the new inhabitants in the garden - poor Squeak was hovering around my ankles keening to herself and not at all happy. Not even corn or banana could entice her to go near them!

 

Day 2 - Everything had quitened down, Squeak and Noodles had sized up to the newbies through the bars and then wandered off after a few seconds. I hung half a lettuce inside and half outside the dog crate and all seemed to eat in close proximity quite happily. Even Squeak decided lettuce was worth approaching the intruders!

 

Day 3 - we let them free range together for an hour or so before dusk. There were a couple of squabbles but really only lasted a few seconds when they encountered one another...and, I'm sad to report, our gingernuts seemed to lose (if losing can be inferred from stalking off first) and i think will be bottom of the pecking order After Squeak's rotten start in life, I really wanted her to be top chicken! On a more positive note, the ambers are very tame (much happier to be handled than Squeak and Noodles) and just pottered off back to their dog crate as it became dusk.

 

So...we were planning on letting them all free range together during the evenings this week and then this weekend start putting the ambers into the eglu with Squeak and Noodles at night. And depending on how things go in the run in the morning, either leaving them all in together or seperating the ambers during the day back to the dog crate. We have bought extra glugs and grubs to minimize food issues.

 

Anyway, I just thought I'd share our experiences with you all and see if anyone has any other suggestions of something we should be doing as well.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this - I feel much better putting it down 'on paper' so to speak...I was really worried that everything would be far 'nastier' than it has been to date...and am keeping fingers crossed things keep going so smoothly

[Scramble]

Hope everything goes great for you.

[nikplus]

On a more positive note, the ambers are very tame (much happier to be handled than Squeak and Noodles)

 

Of our three birds, the Amber is by far the most friendly. The Sussex Ranger and Maran Cuivre are a bit stand-offish and can make a bit of a fuss when you first pick them up (but they quieten down), but Gerry, the Amber positively leaps into your arms as you open the door at the front of the run, leaving the other two to run towards the back.

 

If I was getting any more, I'd certainly be picking more Ambers.

[Egluntyne]

My Amber is absolutely delightful. So friendly and inquisitive.

 

Glad to hear the intros are going to plan.