Chicken bald back

[cocktail_chick]

We collected our 2 lavenders and 1 partridge pekin (Scramble1's replacement) yesterday afternoon from Toni at All Cooped Up where our other girls come from and put them to bed in the dark with the other crew. Door opened this morning and all hell's let loose, the residents are pecking the 3 new girls ........ We started with 2 partridge pekins and introduced our 2 buff pekins a month or so after the partridge ones without any issues. They just went into bed in the dark and that was that, no pecking, all good. There's been a longer gap this time and the 2 lavenders are a bit smaller but the partridge is as big if not bigger! I'm terrified to go and see what's going on. I've put the offending peckers into the Cube for a cooling off and left the new girls plus Egg whose about the same size and seems to be ok with them to get to know each other and stock up on some food and water. Panicking, what should we do ??? Have read some threads, but your support and advice is so helpful and VITAL - I'm going nuts with worry. A

[poachedegg]

We are on our 4th lot of introductions and have always followed successfully this helpful information:

 

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=25886

 

You do need to be very careful as introductions gone wrong can result in injury or worse.

[chelsea]

For best results you need to divide the original and new girls. Do you have alternative accommodation for the new ones and a seperate run?

 

Is there anyway you can seperate your existing run? If not - is there room in your run for the new girls to escape the bullying?

 

Have multiple feed/water/grit stations.

 

Introductions can be tricky, there will be squabbling - but if you want to eliminate serious pecking and injury it's best to take things very slow and merge the flock gradually.

[cocktail_chick]

We have a ceasefire!! After segregating the old girls for an hour or so, I let them out again and they were fine, no pecking for the time being. The 2 little lavenders are huddling together and were getting wet so I've put them in a box in the warm with food and water for the time being. The regulars have taken refuge from the rain in the Cube itself and won't let the others in!

 

I don't have a separate run sadly, we've bought en extension for the Cube which we're going to assemble it this afternoon, but they're so wee we haven't needed to before because they have plenty of room and are moved weekly to new grass etc. I had done the different food and water stations and have been keeping an eye on them.

 

All's quiet on the chookie front for the moment ......

 

Thank you everyone for your advice xx

[chelsea]

but they're so wee

 

If they are tiny you will need to seperate them somehow if you can. I don't want to alarm you but when smaller newbies go in with larger birds the bullying could be quite severe and cause possible injury.

 

Please bear this in mind.

[cocktail_chick]

Thank you Chelsea, keeping a very close eye on them all, promise. They're ALL small but the new lavenders are just that bit smaller than the others, although Egg is the same size as them, but she's part of the original crowd. They're warming up next to the boiler with food and water and keeping calm. Will put them in the Cube with the others over night and see what happens in the morning again. Thankfully no pecking since the initial onslaught this morning, however, they aren't integrating as well as the other bigger pekin that came with them - she's moved into the Cube with others and making friends already!!

 

Will see if we can make a separate area for the smaller newbies when we add the extension on later, hoping the rain will slow down so we don't get drowned!

[Plum]

Hi, sorry you are having a rough time. How about adding the extension then dividing it in two and giving the new ones a cat carrier or something for the time being in their part of the run.

 

Its not easy but I used some canes, bit of trellis and panels from a run I had made but you can put some chicken wire or something over till you can make a divider.

[cocktail_chick]

Plum, that's great - we're going out now to add the extension to the run and I'll do exactly what you've done and make a divider for the time being, not sure with what, but will cobble something together. Have man with tools, will instruct and ply with hot tea and homemade mince pies !!!

[Plum]

It'll give you peace of mind and time for them to get to know each other Hope your man with tools likes the mince pies