Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[speckledbec]

Hiya, I bought an eglu cube at the weekend and the lady selling it had re-homed all the hens but one which someone was supposed to be collecting from her. The person didn't turn up so the lady offered her to me and I brought her home Sunday. I popped her into my eglu with my 3 girls and all seemed fine until bedtime... the new hen (Crunchie) decided she wanted Brenda's spot and pushed her off... Brenda is last in the pecking order generally but the head hen (Gladys) was not impressed at all and they had a little skefuffle. Yesterday my girls wouldn't let Crunchie out of the eglu, Brenda was set to guard the door I let them roam the garden together and they ignored each other, Crunchie was lively and ate and drank fine.

 

Last night we put them away into the cube as we though there would be more room and perhaps Crunchie would feel better in a home she was more used to. This morning my 3 were still not letting Crunchie out the house so I have gave her food and water (both of which she has taken) and put her in the eglu on her own. After eating she took herself back into the house

 

I have them all out in the garden at the moment to try and get used to each other but the new hen is just standing there with her head under her wing looking really miserable.

 

What can I do to help her settle in? Should I keep her separate and let them range together for a week or so and hope they get used to each other? (They are only out of the run an hour or so a day though as there is a local fox) Will she get lonely in the eglu on her own? I was wondering about putting the 2nd in command chook (who has so far shown her no aggression) in with her in the eglu and then putting the 4 back together in a week or so...

 

Sorry for the long post but any advice would be appreciated!

Gladys Ethel Brenda Crunchie

[Patricia W]

Introductions can take a long time. I'd separate her so she can see them and they can see her, ( people have used garden canes to split the eglu run) then as you say, free range them together. It's likely to take weeks not days. Although there are exceptions either end - I'm at the wrong end- 2 of mine acquired in July are still not fully integrated into a trio! But they can now free range together most of the time. I just wouldn't leave them together if I wasn't around.

 

Good luck - you'll get advice from others too

 

Tricia

[Egluntyne]

Article **here** about managing introductions.

 

It can be a bit trickier when introducing one to an established group, but with patience and careful wrangling, it isn't impossible.

 

If separate accommodation isn't an option, a cat box in a sectioned off part of the run will be of help.

[quickcluck]

If possible keep her separate. Is it possible to get her a little friend, then you can introduce 2 to 3 which could be a little easier..

 

But any intros take a while, so patience is essential...

[Jools]

Or alternatively ......

 

If you're planning on them all living happily in the Cube, then put Mrs Miserable in there on here own and the others in the Eglu. All within sight and sound of each other and preferably with feeders and drinkers close so they get used to troughing closer together. Then when you think all is calm enough, introduce the existing flock, one by one, to the Cube, making sure harmony reigns, until they are all living happily together.

 

It might work.

[speckledbec]

Thank you for all your replies, there's some really great ideas there which I will definitely try in the future if I decide to extend my flock. Unfortunately though I found Crunchie dead in the eglu this morning I just feel so sad about it although she was only here for 2 days. Maybe the trauma of being separated from her flock and kept in a box for many hours waiting to be collected, then the drive home and the bullying from my hens all took its toll, she was quite weak late on Sunday when we got home but seemed fine Monday. I'm not sure if there was perhaps something else wrong with her before she came I don't know. Poor thing.

[Egluntyne]

What a shame. I'm sorry to hear it.

[Plum]

That's really sad for you.

[speckledbec]

Thanks guys

[legend21]

such a sad story so sorry for you and crunchie

 

Jackie

[scrambledhead]

So sorry to hear about Crunchie, big hugs.

[sandyhas3chucks]

how very sad.

[Cooks]

so sad