Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[WitchHazel]

Some of you may know that I bought two littlees (then aged 11 and 12 weeks) about 10 weeks ago, and have been working to integrate them with my two Bigees since then.

 

It's been a slow process.Isolation in their own Eglu for a couple of weeks, then in sight but separate, then moved closer. then adjoining free range areas with no-hens land in between, then gradually reducing the no hens land, then having just a double fence, then a single fence, then short spurts of joint free ranging, and then free ranging together. When we got to the free ranging together stage, we moved the Eglu and its run closer and closer to the main Run, until it was eventually side=by-side with the Cube.

 

We were moving the Eglu every couple of days throughout this time in a futile attept to avoid trashing the grass underneath it. We have a good sized garden, but it was quite a challenge, and I was heartily fed up with moving the netting all the time as well.

 

A major milestone was achieved about 10 days ago, I moved the Littlees Eglu (without its run) inside the big run, and put a big fence in to divide the Run. They still got to free range together all day, but at night the Littlees were safe from Delilah's pestering.

 

On Saturday 6th September, a week after we moved the Eglu into the Big Run, we moved the Littlees into the Cube when it was dark and they were all sleepy. I also lowered the fence so that the Littlees could fly over it, but the Bigees couldn't. We lalways eave the Cube door open, so I was confident that the Littlees would be able to escape if there was trouble in the molrning.

 

On Sunday night, we did the same again, lowering the dividing fence even more, so it was about 2 feet high. The Bigees could get over it if they tried, but it would likely be more effort than they wanted to expend. .

 

And then last night - Monday - the Littlees put themselves to bed in the Cube!! Clever little darlings! Well done them!

 

The Bigees weren't too impressed though and they kept going into the Cube and coming out again, bokking furiously. In the end they went in and stayed there.

 

This morning I discovered that at least one of the Littlees was actually sleeping in the nestbox (poo), but that's fine for the moment.

 

And today, another milestone: I took the Eglu out of the Run completely. I'm resisting the - stgrong - temptation to rearrange the Run completely, to put it how it should be - but I think onie change at a time is in order. I don't want to ruin things by rushing, after so many weeks of patience.

 

Delilah continues to chase the Littlees - and they continue to avoid her - but she doesn't peck them often. 'm sure that'll settle down eventually.

 

I'm so pleased that we're nearly there!

[Egluntyne]

Fantastic!

 

Slowly but surely is definitely the easiest way.

[Gamebird]

Well done WitchHazel.

 

It really is worth taking time for introductions to avoid any hassle and bloody bottoms.

[eggypeggy]

Well done.. Big pat on the back. It's not easy.

[Cinnamon]

Thats great news hazel.

Slowly is by for the best way with introductions

 

My new 4 are seperated from my old 4 with a 3 ft fence at the moment,but for the last 2 days Fern (old girl) has moved in with the new girls

Shes not attacking them, & is even sleeping with them at night,so I am letting them get on with it for the time being.