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

[edharvey17]

Hi everyone,

 

Following the death of Hugh on Saturday morning we decided to get a couple of new hens today. Having no alternative accommodation we put the two new girls (Primrose, a Blue; and Lemon, a Maran - get it.... Lemon Maran....made us laugh anyway!) in the run and locked Terri (2 years old) out so she was free ranging all afternoon.

 

Obviously Terri was a little put out as these new additions and so began sqwarking most of the afternoon and checking them out. We thought we may as well go for broke and put her in the run too at which point the sqwarking carried on in fits and starts and every now and then she'd go into the Eglu (where the two new ones are hiding!) have a peck at their faces, backs, bums etc then sqwark and go back into the run.

 

I've just let her back out into the garden as was making a racket and now she has calmed down again.

 

Any ideas on what to do - they all need to sleep in the same Eglu and so guess all we can do is put Terri back in at dusk and cross our fingers......?

 

Any advice would be useful...

 

Thanks!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I've no first hand experience but believe that people mostly keep the new and old apart during the day but put them together to sleep, when they're getting drowsy and don't seem to mind interlopers so much.

 

Good luck!

[Cooks]

personally I wouldn't have got the new girls until you had sorted additional accomodation for them, as the intro's need to be done slowly.

[edharvey17]

thanks CookieMonster but I'm sure I'm not the first nor will I be the last so just asking for a few ideas from those who have had similar experience.

[SJ1703]

Hi,

 

We were in simialr situation befor Christmas. One of our two girls dies very suddenly and obivously we didn't want to keep an 'only chicken' for too long. We bought 2 new girls within a couple of days, with no additional accomodation, and let them all free range together when we got home, and they all put themselves to bed together that evening. When the new ones first arrived there was a bit of a fuss, but they soob settled down.

 

Good luck

[Falkor]

I am sorry but having experienced both ways of introduction.......putting them in together when i worked on a farm and doing it slowly I am with Cookie.

 

I have just introduced two hybrids to my two orps and used seperate accomodation......the newbies were confined to eglu and run for a week with the Orps free ranging around.....then joint supervised free ranging with seperate sleeping for two weeks, then the Eglu and short guinlu run got moved into the WIR .On 16th April I started putting the newbies into the cube after they had gone to sleep in the eglu AND last night they all took themselves off to bed in the cube

 

That is a fully intergrated flock in 28 days......I am also proud to say that apart from the odd half hearted peck (more of a shoulder barge really) there has been NO naughtiness!

 

Do you have a dog crate or similar perhaps that you could use as a temp home.

 

I have a free eglu and run now that you could hire but may be a little far....we are in Cambs

[Egluntyne]

I'd take palmer07's kind offer up, it will make the integration much less traumatic.....for you and the hens.

[Cooks]

thanks CookieMonster but I'm sure I'm not the first nor will I be the last so just asking for a few ideas from those who have had similar experience.

I was just saying what I would have done, which is what you came on for isn't it?? our experiences? It's all a learning curve.

[Guest]

Why not try and get a rabbit hutch? I got one on freecycle when I was introducing a single hen and it did the job. OK it's not ideal but it's a darned site better than the pecking. Ask around - you might even find a friend has one they are not using - could have bought about 6 at our boot sale today! Or a dog crate - we use one for a broody cage although it is in our WIR so we don't have to worry about foxes.

[jlo]

We are in the process of introducing two new hens and, even with all the advice on the forum, I am still raelly nervous about it all.

 

We have two Eglus and have kept the two newbies in the run for about six days and let the other two freerange round them and put treats down near the run so Tango and Beebs will know that they will not be losing out.

 

Today we let them all out together for the first time. It started off fine but then there was a bit of argy bargy and we stepped in, Then the oldies went rushing up to the patio as they heard someone come out of the back door and they associate that with food.

 

This was good as it let Bella and Esme freerange in peace for a while but then, Tango and Beebs refused to come back down the garden!!

 

Not sure what that was all about.

 

I am still pretty nervous about the next time and am thinking of the water pistol approach.

 

I appreciate that this does not really answer your question about what to do but it is just to give a bit of an idea of someone else who is going through a similar thing??

[sandyhas3chucks]

I am in similar situation. Had mine a week 9 days but have 4 to introduce to 2. My 1st 2 hugely unimpressed fre chests up wings flapping flying for each other then I sort of say stop, not a big interfenance but my new ones hae disabilities bar 1. then they fuff in puff shake a waddle off in diferent directions, my 2 look tget tey are trying to pretend they're not there!

I am sure with time it will be fine, I am thinking at least 3 weeks. But agree it is nerve wracking!

[Plum]

If you can't find another run Redwing put canes across the run to make two sections so they could get used to each other it may be worth pm ing her.

[edharvey17]

So, here's the overview of day one....!

 

After having a few squabbles and pecking from the older girl, I left the run open for them to free range in the afternoon. The two new ones (each 13 weeks) popped their heads out a few times but were soon running back in when they saw the old resident!

 

However, come dusk, and as the rule goes, they all went into the Eglu and cuddled up together - even one of the new girls got the nest box allbeit the other being scrunched up somewhere around Terri's bum!

 

I let them out at 6.30am and they went into the run all ok. 1/2 hour later Terri is making noises to free range and get away from the two new girls. Whilst this is happening (as we need to go to work today), I unclip the run so it is in half, put in some chicken wire and re-clip together - Heath Robinson eat your heart out! Terri gets the Eglu (and half the run) so she can lay plus food and water, the two new girls get shade from the cover in the other half plus food and water and they can all check each other out without pecking!

 

So far so good and not much noise at all.

 

Think I'll free range them all tonight and see how it goes - then pop them all in together for another night of (fingers crossed) 'peaceful' slumber....

[Cooks]

I believe the rule of thumb is normally not to intregrate new chickens until they are roughly over 22 weeks of age as by this time they are old enough to defend themselves.

 

There has been some horrible cases on here where younger birds have been hurt very badly by intergrating them too young, so please be very careful.

[poachedegg]

I agree with Cookiemonster - 13 weeks does sound rather young to be integrating with an older chicken.

[Redwing]

Good call on splitting the run, the age mix isn't ideal I agree but you have at least separated them which is ace

 

You are where you are and have the chickens you have, just keep an eye on things and act quickly if there are any problems, at least the two new ones have each other for support

[edharvey17]

Thanks for the replies - we bought them and took advice from someone who has hundreds of hens and said this was the better option to go for as integration is easier this way. They are only a little smaller than the older one as she's a bit small and scraggy. So far so good as the older one does seem to be ok with them so far. Will keep you updated.

[Hen Watch]

Good idea Edharvey17 about separating the run. Did you see the great cane dividing picture on the FAQ? I didn't see it until I'd done the intro thing myself. During the day my new girl lived in the childrens wendy house!!!! and in eglu at night. Took about 2 weeks of nastyness to settle down. She's still bottom chook but that's chickens for you.

 

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=12688

 

Have to say I like the rabbit hutch idea, and if I did it all over again I'd look for a 2nd hand one.

 

Your already doing what I did anyway. They free ranged together, slept together, but when I went out to work they couldn't be in the run together or they would beat her up mercilessly. Sorry no more constructive advice than that, keep going, it is nasty at first to watch but they should get through it. Ohh.... and lots of food and water stations for less arguing, I got a spare glug and grub set (which also comes in handy when I go away on hols).

[RosemarysBaby]

I believe the rule of thumb is normally not to intregrate new chickens until they are roughly over 22 weeks of age as by this time they are old enough to defend themselves.

 

There has been some horrible cases on here where younger birds have been hurt very badly by intergrating them too young, so please be very careful.

 

 

oh no! this really worries me i just got a youngster probably about 8 weeks or so not exact on age she is gonna email the hatch date but i have it separate separate run and separate coop but one of the older ones pecking through the mesh and already pecked her on the beak i am really worried i might not be able to integrate these ones the last ones they where in with where going on 14 weeks but they had been together since the white stars where 9 weeks and the others where 18 weeks. Not gonna rush them but seems a shame this baby in on it's own if it is gonna be for 3 weeks to a month x

[Woodcat]

hey

 

 

I managed to get mine to the point where they would tolerate each other free ranging at 16 weeks. I had them from 12 weeks old and to begin with they were totally sperate only being able to see each other for a week with the babes in a run and the oldies free ranging. We then had about a week days of babes free ranging in the morning and oldies in the afternoon. The young ones then free ranged with one of my older ones under very stringent rules with a water gun and a sin bin. Basically every time she attacked them she got a blast of the water gun and then 5 mins in the small pen. This was really very effective with my lot mainly because they hate being shut in and within a week they could free range together with minimal supervision ( i mean i was there but i wasn't having to sin bin anyone) then the week after that they could free range with me in the house not watching. However for mine to be shut in together without major squables it took about 2 week free ranging and even then there was shouting and moaning and barging but no pecking.

 

I can't say that i would ever advice anyone to follow my way because it really was a right pain but i got lumbered and had to do it that way so

 

Good luck

[RosemarysBaby]

hey

 

 

I managed to get mine to the point where they would tolerate each other free ranging at 16 weeks. I had them from 12 weeks old and to begin with they were totally sperate only being able to see each other for a week with the babes in a run and the oldies free ranging. We then had about a week days of babes free ranging in the morning and oldies in the afternoon. The young ones then free ranged with one of my older ones under very stringent rules with a water gun and a sin bin. Basically every time she attacked them she got a blast of the water gun and then 5 mins in the small pen. This was really very effective with my lot mainly because they hate being shut in and within a week they could free range together with minimal supervision ( i mean i was there but i wasn't having to sin bin anyone) then the week after that they could free range with me in the house not watching. However for mine to be shut in together without major squables it took about 2 week free ranging and even then there was shouting and moaning and barging but no pecking.

 

I can't say that i would ever advice anyone to follow my way because it really was a right pain but i got lumbered and had to do it that way so

 

Good luck

 

 

I am already on the water bottle spray my older ones wont shut up they are making the weirdest noises ever they got out this morning and first thing they did was to throw nasty looks over to faberges cage poor little peeper think i am gonna go get anopther same age from breeeder if she has one we didnt anticipate having lost 2 and now baby is on its own it isn't fair think it might be in there a while gonna free range them separately for a while til the others stop screaming at them at least and the wee one is bigger otherwise the big ones Would kill her x sin bin great idea x

[quickcluck]

This is a very interesting thread - dont know how i've missed it until now

 

How are things going ed? Are they still sleeping together at night and separate during the day?

 

I am introducing 2 at 18weeks to 6! They have an eglu and i've sectioned off the WIR. We are planning for about 4-5 weeks.

 

Mine don't freerange but we plan to let the newbies into the big run for a very short time after a week or so. They are having treats together at the great divide until then....

 

Not sure when so begin the sleeping together, any ideas?

 

Is that a good plan?

[edharvey17]

Hi, thought I'd update on our progress. I'm happy to say after one to two weeks of seperating the newbies into one half of the run and the oldie in the main pod area, and free ranging them together in the evening, they now seem to be getting on ok with a few pecks here and there.

 

The oldie even realized she has no one to play with in the garden cos she scared the other two and so now has really changed so she can mooch with them and they don't run off to much!

 

I'd say be careful to a point but they don't call it pecking order for nothing.