sparkysmum Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 As you know our 2 lovely pekin ladies arrived last weekend. At the mo they are in a beautiful ark made by Jim Vyse Arks with a Omlet run attached. They are on woodchip and have logs & home made perches in the run. They seem very happy. I would like them to have the same free range time as our other ladies but it all seems so complicated. I can't let them FR with the others as I can't supervise all the time & Boris our ex batt has already made her feelings known. So help what do I do Will they be happy in their run with only occassional free ranging or should I work harder at integrating them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 They would be happy in hteir run if necessary, so long as you give them plenty of greens to supplement their diet. TBH, and hopes of integrating them with a hybrid flock may be optimistic; it has been done, but it doesn't often work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Are you able to fence the pekins into their own little FR area close to their run? My LF and bantams free range together but it has taken me many COLD months to get to this point.....occasionally they will visit each others houses but we haven`t had any sleep overs yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 Thank you Claret and Falkor for your almost instantaneous replies I will increase their greens and try to feel less guilty at their current lack of FR time In the next few weeks I should be able to fence off another bit of garden as Falkor suggested but at the moment the big girls have most of our spare ground although this could change. Axx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Perhaps let them freerange in shifts so that they get used to seeing each other and both lots get a chance to free range Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 Hazel has just let them all out together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cross your fingers Hope it won't all end in tears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 Well I can't believe it..............they pretty well ignored each other Ex batt Boris wasn't too chuffed, but unless the pekins actually got under her nose she didn't seem too bothered, other ladies likewise I expected much more trouble At the weekend I'll try them in the big girls's garden run but untill then I'll carry on free ranging . Thanks as always. Axx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 Watch them carefully - pekins are the most bossy of bantams, so the most likely to be able to integrate with bigger lasses, but still take care. I heard a sad story at the weekend; a person on my course on Sunday had bought some pekins and bunged them straight in with her big girls - one died and the other two were left pretty poorly.... how not to do introductions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted March 9, 2010 Author Share Posted March 9, 2010 Thanks Claret, they FR'd together for an hour or so together yesterday and about two hours today. So far without incident.However they will continue to have their separate runs and houses, I have no intention of changing that for a long time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
