Eglu cube or go up with 2m run

[jellykelly]

They arrived last night and were put straight to bed without any fuss.

THis morning, I had to turf them out of the coop and they looked around bewildered.

Three are quite happy roaming around, flapping and generally feeling the sun on their backs but two are not coming out of the coop. They are scratching around and kicking all of the straw and shavings outside or against one of the sides?

Will they eventually come out??

 

Also, my other three chickens are frantically pacing up and down the fence and making a hideous noise - whats that all about??

[CluckyBucks]

Hi there

 

Im sure that they will come out eventually, they are probably just getting used to their new home Make sure they are eating and drinking and they should be fine

 

Well done for rescuing them

 

xx xx

[Egluntyne]

Give them time. They will be shell shocked for a few days.

[jellykelly]

I've been watching them all day. They're such wee scrawny little things.

They've been rying to establish a pecking order amongst themselves, which is quite hideous to watch. They seem far worse then my other three were.

 

Upon putting them to bed though - one chicken esscaped from me (little and quick) and ran into the section with the other three. She was met with a barrage of pecking and a lot of sqauking. It was horrible. I rescued her quite quickly, but I am not looking forward to eventually letting all 8 roam together. I'm imagining bloodshed.

 

I need reassurance that in a few weeks, all will be ok and they'll all be free ranging together with no fuss.

[Egluntyne]

They will. Just take it slowly and give the ex-batts time to recover and build up some strength.

[Tutti Frutti]

All perfectly normal! Welcome to your new home girls and well done you for rescuing them. My introductions were EXACTLY the same. If you're interested, several of us rescued ex-barnies on 21/11/09 and you can read more about the introductions here - various levels of success! Some instant and some (ie mine!) took a few weeks http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=55442

 

Don't worry, it'll all work out. At the end of our first weekend, I was just as bewildered as the girls, constantly worrying, and the racket and animosity left me wondering what I'd done And a little anxious that I'd never have peace and quiet again! But they're fine now - honest

[Barkisland]

I got my ex batts around this time last year and I remember feeling just the same. One of my girls (Nancy) was not as robust as the other two and, very sadly, died on the day after rescue.

I kept the other two segregated from my 4 pure breeds for several weeks, with a large cargo net betwen them, so they could 'socialise' without killing one another

My little Cream Legbar, who was being bullied by the other big girls, broke in and settled in with the two ex batts! She enjoyed bossing them around for a while.

When you do eventually merge them, there will be a re-organisation and the pecking order will be established. It aint pretty to watch, but it has to happen.

My little Legbar, Ada, is back down at the bottom of the heap again, and Gerty, the ex batt, is way up at the top. Ex Batts can be very feisty, as they are used to fighting for everything.

The pecking order will be reset every time one goes broody or moults too. The heirarchy of the flock changes continually. This is something I hadn't quite grasped.

Although your instinct is always to protect the underdog, one of them has to be at the bottom of the pile, it's the natural order of things.

Well done for taking on some rescued girls, I know you will have a wonderful experience as they turn from terrified zombies with dead eyes into happy fluffy chookies with attitude!

[coco]

Well done for rescuing them and giving them a new home. They will all settle down eventually. It was my two ex batts that bullied my existing chickens and i thought things would never settle down but they did. The two ex bats are top of the pecking order although one is moulting and feeling very sorry for herself. she still gives the others a swift peck though to keep them in thier place though.

[jellykelly]

Thanks guys. The reassurance has helped!

 

The pics from the November rescue are fantastic - very heart warming.

 

I checked on the girls a little while ago and I think I'll be lucky if all 5 wake up. One is not looking great. She had been hiding most of the day - well standing and hoping for invisability, but her head has been constantly down. On checking the sleeping arrangements, 4 hens were perched/huddled at one end of the coop and 'miss lonely' was all by herself at the other - head down and looking miserable.

 

If she makes it through the night, I think she'll be joining us in the house to build her strength for a few days.

[Chicken Shirl]

Well done for rescuing them. You will be amazed how they will change after some TLC. I agree you should bring the sad little girl in for some special treatment. Good luck with it all. We are all with you should you need help. I haven't got ex batts but I have been thrilled by the threads on here. So challenging and rewarding. I hope the little one makes it

[Tutti Frutti]

Oh noooo... So sorry, I hope your little one's stronger in the morning Please let us know, I'll be logging on for news. Bless her. Yes, it's hard but so rewarding.

[jellykelly]

Well, she was still all alone this morning. Poor baby!!

 

I 've put them in the run and she is moving and flapping today. She looks ok but I'll see how she goes today.

 

Little beggers - last night once I'd got them tucked up, I put several new bags of woodbark down in their run. It looked lovely. I have just gone out there and the little beggers have emptied the coop of bedding and kicked it all over the woodbark. What looked all lovely at 7am now looks yucky again!! Oh well

[Tutti Frutti]

Aww, she sounds a real sweetie! How has she been today?

 

Yours sound like they've got their "hooligan" badges a few weeks early

[jellykelly]

She's been good today -in fact they all have. They've all made themselves right at home. I had 2 eggs from them yesterday and again 2 today

 

I'm currently trying to get my hands on temporary housing for my older girls - my two tier sleeping arrangement isn't working - "Ooops, word censored!"ody wants the penthouse!!