Chicken bald back

[brambles]

Hi!

 

I have two older girls (16 months or so) who have been with me since Jan in the eglu.

 

Three, yes three weeks ago, the Cube arrived, was duly built and the new girls (POL) were popped in that. The new girls since then are showing signs of being ready to lay: red faces, combs growing, but are not yet laying.

 

We've followed the intro advice of letting oldies eat treats by the cube, then free ranging them together. There is absolutely no way, as yet, that they'll eat treats together outside, the dominant hen chases them away.

 

The past couple of nights, we've popped them into the cube together once they've all been drowsy, then separated them in the morning - the older girls will not let the new ones out of the eglu to eat.

 

Advice please!!!!

[MadMitch]

Mine took 5 weeks in total with a small amount of squabbling (nothing serious) afterwards.

[brambles]

that sounds hopeful - at what point did you pitch them in together and leave them to it?

[chelsea]

I think it depends on the nature of the hens themselves and their ages to be honest. My cochins (submissive breed) took about 4/5 weeks to mix with the original flock and they were about 22 weeks when we put them in. Our latest introduction took 13 weeks before we mixed the flock as our new pair were (and still are) quite small compared to the rest of them.

 

I would keep doing what you are doing, you sound like you are doing everything right to me! maybe they just need a little more time.

[MadMitch]

that sounds hopeful - at what point did you pitch them in together and leave them to it?

 

I had mine totally seperate for 3 weeks as they were a bit younger than the others, then I let them free range after that. For 2 weeks they took themselves back to their eglu everynight then one night I went to lock up the eglu and they weren't there. I went to the cube and they were snuggled up in the nesting box. They then just carried on following the others every night.

[alih]

I think it very much depends on the hens. My first lot took 3 weeks all in but I now have ex bats who are terrified of the bruisers. They have been here 7 weeks and are nowhere near merging stage yet.

 

I would take it as slowly as you can. I waited until each stage felt comfy and there was little or no chasing before confining them a bit more closely together.

It will happen although I am feeling like you at the mo, as though it never will!

[feemcg]

I'm afraid I do the 'fling them in and let them get on with it' method. The 1st week is horrible, the 2nd week slightly better and by the 3rd week mostly settled down. My 2 youngest still get growled at when it's treat or corn time and they were introduced last summer.....there's no getting round it really, that's what the pecking order's all about.