Single hen

[chooklady]

I bought 2 new chooks from Thornes in Letchworth the other day, a Corton Blue and a Maran Cuivre.

 

The man at Thornes said to put all the chickens together at night and to seperate the 2 new ones during the day but gradually introduce them to each other.

 

I have been doing this and things aren't quite as brutal as they were! Do I need to just let them get on with it and sort their pecking order out or if it gets to rough should I intervene?

 

The Maran is coping quite well but the Blue one is very nervous and I noticed yesterday that one of her wings is a little droopey, have the other chickens done this or has she hit herself in a blind panic? It is her right wing, which of course you can't see in this photo, sorry. Also I have noticed on closer inspection that she has quite a lot of feathers missing from around the base of her tail, but this hasn't happened since she's been with me, are the stumpy bits of feather OK to be left as they are or do I need to do anything to them?

 

Should I just carry on as I am and if so how long roughly will it take for them to get over this phase and all be nice to each other?

Many thanks, you advice is greatly appreciated

 

 

[Egluntyne]

I always take a more gradual approach with intros **See here** and have had very little in the way of problems.

[cordelia]

they are lovely birds...I think it took me nearly two weeks, to introduce one bird to two others...they are fine now..

[darthwenger]

I went through the same problem a few weeks back. One of my original chooks died so bought another from Thorne's and stupidily threw them in together (and they nearly killed each other)

 

I had an old cage (that my cat used to stay in when we had building work) so I put that right next to the Eglu so they could get used to each other and get used to eatting next to each other (without actually being in contact)

 

After a week, I let them both out to freerange together (with a lot of corn around to distract them) and also a plant sprayer to split up any fighting or pecking (water and a little vinegar so they both smell the same) They freeranged together for another week and then one day they both walked into the Eglu together and have been best of friends ever since.

 

Hopefully should take you a couple of weeks to intergrate a new chook, just make sure you just get them used to each other before letting them actually be together as I found that once Henrietta our original chook worked out that the new one wasn't a threat to her food she was fine.

[chooklady]

Things are going well, it's a lot calmer now. I have been suppervising. Sleeping together in the cube has been fine in fact the new ones were first in the cube last night and there is no argy bargy. I have been letting the others out in the garden and then letting the new ones have the main run and they have been in the garden for brief periods. The MAran being the older bird is happier to come out of the run whereas the Corton Blue wants to stay inside and perch on something out of the way.

I think this time next week everything will be fine hopefully