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

[Lucia]

Hi, When my WIR went up on Saturday it seemed the ieal opportunity to finally stick everyone in together as the two youngsters were big enough and there would be lots to do plus its neutral ground.

(They have been penned next to each other for weeks and the older 3 girls have been ranging around the broody coupe the youngsters were in almost from day one. )

 

Anyway, it has all gone really well, there was a little bit of squawking and chasing but they have been all sleeping in the cube at night (we put the broody run in the WIR as a place they could retreat from the big girls and feel safe if they needed too) albeit with a little help from us! But its been fine, a much smoother introduction than I thought we would have.

 

Thing is the two babies are spending quite a lot of time in the broody coupe (we leave the door open) they do come out and eat and drink or when the afternoon corn arrives.

 

So do I wait till they feel safe to come out? Or should we bite the bullet and shut the broody coupe door so they can't go and hide and have to mingle!

 

My instinct is to eventually shut it up at least some of the day but not yet, maybe in a week or so, but I do worry that they aren't eating enough. There are several drinking and feed stations in there though but I worry if I put some in the broody coupe they'll never come out! LOL!!

 

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Thanks

[cluckingmad]

Hi Lucia,

 

I'd go with your gut instinct - leave them as it is for now, start to shut off the broody coup for a bit each day and you'll probably find that they eventually choose to go in with the others )thats what our girls did when we introduced our ex-batts )

 

Glad its all gone so well.... pictures?!

[Lucia]

Thanks for that - there are some piccies in the EGLU, CUBE and Runs section.

[Patricia W]

I would keep an eye on them when you do shut them out for at least the first few times. We had a major setback yesterday ( been integrating since July!!) when Teddie corned Babs in a cat carrier and attacked her visciously- and would not have stopped if I hadn't intervened.

 

So go carefully

 

Tricia

[Lucia]

Yikes - ok will do, ta!