loopy12 Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 I know this topic has been done to death, but I've read so many conflicting stories... After months of thinking about it we finally got a third chicken on Sunday - she's a year old cream legbar, who we think we will call Pepper. Our other two are original Omlet girls who we've had a little over a year. The first day we popped her in the eglu run showed her the eglu etc and left her to settle in with the other two free ranging in the garden. She laid our first blue egg in the nest box. In the evening we let her out - the other two had visited her peering in through the mesh and showed very little interest, but as soon as she came out they both went for her - grabbing mouth fulls of neck feathers We separated them and she spent the night in cardboard box in the run while they slept in the eglu. Today she's spent the day in the run and there's been a fair amount of hackles rising on both sides so we didn't let her out. SHe tried to go to bed in the eglu and was asleep so we tried to introduce the others thinking they might be ok if sleepy, but the new one shot out just as Nutmeg lunged for her. Anyway, what sort of time period can we expect the introduction period to be? I'm anticpating a couple of weeks. Is it better to get her comfortable with us before letting her meet the others face to face? I'm worrying about her anyway - she doesn't seem to be eating much mash and doesn't seem to know what to do with grapes, lettuce or even sweetcorn. When she does try to peck she seems to miss like her depth perception is poor? Yet she's quite a chunky chicken so must eat ok normally even if she hasn't really had treats before...she drinks loads though. Think she might struggle to compete with the other two for food because of her poor aim. I did get her to eat a bit of grape from my hand which I thought was encouraging. We haven't seen much normal chicken behaviour from her either - she hasn't been scratching or bathing at all and her bum's a bit pooey - but she's too flighty at the moment to try to catch her let alone bathe her! Tonight she's sleeping huddled up to the eglu door - she so wants to be in there with them - its heartbreaking (though thankfully warm so not worried that she'll be cold - and I've hung a blanket over that end of the run to make her feel more secure)... By keeping her in the run separate from the others are they really going to get acquainted at all, or are we just delaying the inevitable pecking arguments? How noisy is it likely to be (very neighbour conscious)? How long does the pecking dispute normally last? Do they sometimes not get on at all? We would loved to have introduced a pair of chickens which we know would've been better, but don;t have the space. We thought we were prepared and had done the research but nothing prepares you for the brutality when you're used to your chucks being loving, tame birds who like cuddles - easy to forget they were flighty and scared when they first arrived... Any help and advice for these early days would be appreciated... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 Loopy, I do so sympathise! I went from the "right, lets just throw them all in there, harden our hearts and get it over with" to feelings of absolute revulsion and hatred almost towards my existing, formally loved bird who terrorised one of my new ones to the point where she was bald, bloody, cowering and thoroughly miserable. I am sure she would have been killed if we hadn't intervened. I think you do need to put them in together. Its only going to delay the agony if you don't. A good idea is to let them all sleep together if you can stay up late enough to slip the new one in with them once they are already asleep, but of course, it means getting up very early to let them all out! Can they free range together anywhere? At least if theres space the new one will be able to escape. I ended up taking out the bully and putting her in a rabbit run, whilst the new one got used to the surroundings and gained some confidence in me and the set up. (This was for 5 days whilst her wounds were healing). I also resorted to bumper bits and anti peck spray once Izzy's wounds had healed and I put Tubbs (the bully) back in. It took 3 weeks for things to settle in total, and I am sure I made mistakes. I hope you can introduce them soon. Often the noise and look of it is worse than the actual damage, so you'd need to watch carefully to assess how much harm is actually beign done! Youi might be surprised that it isn't as much as you thought! Good luck and do let us know how you're doing. I promise you, it is worth it in the end! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loopy12 Posted July 4, 2006 Author Share Posted July 4, 2006 Thankyou for the advice Some progress today - with her in herself, not with the others - she's eating pellets fairly enthusiatically and her aim for treats seems a bit better, and less raising hackles at the others when they visit on the other side of the wire. Tried to get them to sleep together but Ginger attacked. I think we will keep them completely separate until the weekend to give her a chance to get to knwo us and to settle in and have a full tummy before exposing her to the bullies... Bought some stockholm tar too - what do I do with it? Is it more for use as an antiseptic after an attack, or for pecking prevention, or both? Will keep you updated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Loopy, try feeding them all corn along the edge of the run so that both sets of hens are eating together and associate treats with that prescence. I have a rablu and have used that for introductions, so that the newbies can setttle down in the safety of that run with the others freeranging round them. I let them out together in the garden for an hour at a time for the first couple of goes, then just see how it goes. Some hens settle quicker than others, and I have introduced 6 hens in total in this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loopy12 Posted July 6, 2006 Author Share Posted July 6, 2006 Thanks - thats what we're doing really - Pepper's in the eglu run the other two are free ranging the garden and we're feeding treats to all three at the eglu run. We've let her out a few times with them now - she gets bored and starts getting noisy otherwise - she so wants to join in - she walks up to them all hopeful and they round on her and chase her off When they're scratching in the pebbles on one side of the fence she scratces in the blosson petals on the other side...awwwww She's sleeping int the run on an emergency perch we cobbled together to keep her off the bark chips at night but she snuggles right up to the eglu door to be close to them She really is so sweet... No serious injuries though - is that a good sign? They chase her and get the odd beakful of feathers but no serious harm done. And she's courageous enough to try and sidle up to them again within ten minutes of each attack - not sure I'd be so brave! Time will tell...there's a little progress every day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 Sounds hopeful! Fingers crossed for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 It DOES sound good Just give it time, then let the freerange together for a longer time while you can watch, but don't intervene unless it looks nasty - they have to sort it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loopy12 Posted July 8, 2006 Author Share Posted July 8, 2006 Day 7... Managed to hold Pepper for the first time - by wrapping her ina towel, but she then sat down and went to sleep...and she comes - slowly - when we call her name - so progress on that front. On the down side Ginger and Nutmeg are still chasing her and Ginger took a chunk out of Pepper's comb Poor little thing. We're thinking of renaming Ginger and Nutmeg as Crabbe and Goyle...(of Harry Potter fame). A little progress every day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loopy12 Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 Crabbe and Goyle (aka ginger and Nutmeg) ares till chasing Pepper likes its hunting for sport. The poor little thing quakes in the bushes most of the time... There doesn't seem to be much change in the their attitude towards her over the last 7 days Not sure if its going to improve. They don't hurt her but they do torment and frighten her and I'm not sure what would happen if they were kept together in the run instead of free-ranging. Trouble is we are moving house in 2 weeks and they are going to have to move back into the eglu run - together (with extension)! so if they're not getting on then we may have to rehome her In herself she's coming on in leaps and bounds. Has laid 3 blue eggs now and had bath and trim yesterday to sort out her bum feathers (she still looks a bit bald there though) and she loves sitting on our laps and taking a nap - she's a lap chicken! I just want the bullies to love her too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 I've got a little chook like that, she gets bullied a bit and left out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 She sounds gorgeous loopy! I've only just caught up with this thread, but it sounds like thinks are improving a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loopy12 Posted July 15, 2006 Author Share Posted July 15, 2006 Day 14... We nervously popped Pepper into bed with the others last night after dark and I sat outside for ages but there were no complaints. Well, when i say popped... she stuck a wing and a leg out in an attempt to prevent us getting her in through the hatch - cartoon-esque moment but she went in in the end, and we let her out at 5am - no problems. No change in their daytime attitude to her though. We're doing the same tonight - she's fast asleep on my lap as I type - just waiting for it to get totally dark... I haven't figured out the gallery yet but shall put a picture of her in my here if I can - she so's cute with her badly-fitting toupee of feathers... [/img] Lauren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 She's beautiful and sounds lovely. Su only sits on my lap cos she's broody and won't move at all. I would love a cream legbar, but OH doesn't like head feathers on a chicken. Glad it's getting better. Sounds promising that you could add her to the eglu. T&S didn't damage Katy at all, just a quick peck, but Katy could run away. Hope it gets better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 Oh bless she looks like she's trying on someone elses' hat karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 She's a beautiful chook! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 What a pretty girl! What is she again? Saw Lesley's new Skylines on Saturday - they're so pretty is she one of those? they look similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loopy12 Posted July 19, 2006 Author Share Posted July 19, 2006 No - she's a cream legbar - they have araucana genes so lay blue eggs Think we're on day 18 now - we're putting her into bed with them every night now - no problems there and she's laid 5 pretty blue eggs now - one every other day for the last week so must be settling in. During the day there's still a lot of chasing, but they hardly ever catch her or hold her down now, and sometimes they even let her get away with eating from the peanut. What with the weather too, I'm not sure they've got the energy to chase her anyway So some progress...but they're a long way from playing/eating/dust bathing together still... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loopy12 Posted August 3, 2006 Author Share Posted August 3, 2006 Just an update... Think its been 4.5 weeks now... Ginger's still chasing Pepper (except today because we think she hurt her leg yesterday so she's under the weather). Ntumeg is fine with her 98% of the time. They now let her eat from their peanut - even if they're stood right next to her. She's wholeheartedly joining in the chase after the pasta/grape game and sometimes even wins it ( though Ginger will give her a nip for her efforts then). All 3 come running up together when I call now - definite progress there. They sit together now, and wander around fairly close together. They're not bathing together yet though. She's still being popped into bed by us an hour after the others go to sleep - she did try to go in with them the other day but Ginger gave her 'the look' and she backed off. AND yesterday she squatted for me to pick her up for the first time instead of running away! Yay! She's still very soppy and will sit on my lap for an hour wuite happily for a nap. Anyway...lots of progress - still not best friends, but she's at least tolerated now - hope a few more weeks will make them inseparable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
