My eco solution to rat problems

[Elaine C]

.... that 3 more girls, known as the Horsham 3, have moved into to the grand recenlty completed run in Guildford complete with their orange eglu bedroom. The new girls are Kipper (a gingernut), Syd and Nancy (pepperpots). They are about 18 months old.

 

They arrived on Sunday, when their chookie mum brought them over. They seem to be settling in ok and have been laying and definately eating well! but they are still quite nervous of us. Unfortunately, due to Tanya's changed circumstances and they being confined more then they were used to, Kipper has been a bit of a bully and Syd has a fair sized bare patch on her back and Nancy a smaller patch. (see photos below)

 

Syd's bare back

 

Nancy's smaller bare patch

 

I have segreated the run so they have a fair amount of room and this seems to have improved things and as far as I can see no further pecking has occured. In the evening I'm letting the existing girls out of the run to a netted area and opening up the run for the Horsham 3 to give them a bit of extra space and also spending time feeding brocoli so they get to know me, this is working and they are becoming less nervous. As far as integrating the two flocks, this doesn't need to be rushed as the arrangement I have can go on for as long as it takes!

 

However, as the two of the girls have bare flesh, one of my concerns is that too early an introduction would 'invite' my existing girls to also have a go. I have got some genetian violet which I will be able to spray at the weekend when OH can help so I would think this will help. They are also getting extra poultry spice for the minerals and have also got some poultry booster for the vitamins to help their feathers grow back as quickly as possible. This not started yet as at the moment all of the chooks are having Verm-x in the water for worms as this was due for my lot anyway.

 

Any thoughts about when I should get them all together? My thoughts are that although the set up is ok for a quite life, the sooner they can start to integrate the better. As I say my concern is the bare flesh - would I be better to wait until the feathers have grown back? For the initial introductions I am planning to get them all out in the netted area so plenty of escape routes for chooks that may get picked on. The main agression I think will be between my existing gingernut as they seem to be the top chook in their flocks.

 

Look forward to hearing your advice

 

E

 

PS now that I've written this, think I probably should have posted in the introducing new chooks section - Kate feel free to move if you feel it would be better there!

[The Dogmother]

What great news and lovely pictures Elaine. I hope that they integrate well and settle down soon

[Guest]

Elaine, I wouldn;t worry too much about the bare flesh - chickens are more attracted to the colour red, so as long as no blood is drawn, there shouldn;t be too many problems.

 

If you put them all in together, in my experiance, there will be a couple of days of quite bad pecking (which is horrid), followed by a few days of wary indifference, followed by a happy co-existence in a new flock. All the pecking is going to happen, whether you keep them seperate for a long period of time, or put them together now. As long as you keep an eye on them, in case blood is spilled and it becomes ugly (unlikely), there is no reason not to get it over and done with. It is ABSOLUTLEY worth the heartbreak of watching your favourite chickens bullying the new girls - it's just nature, the established chickens making sure the new girls know whos boss.

 

I've gone through it a few times now, and I promise you - everything settles within a week to a fortnight.

[Looney]

Welcome to the Horsham 3 What lucky ladies to have such a lovely new home and family

[theherd123]

Oh what lovely chickens!

 

I would spray the gentian violet as planned - it worked for my rescue girls quite well.

 

Im sure they will all settle down quite soon

[Mel (& Paul)]

Welcome the Horsham 3 - they look like they are going to have a FAB life

[Lindy Loo]

Lovely new girls Elaine!

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the bare flesh aspect. My rescue girls had lots of bare flesh and so did Mabel after she was "lurched" and although there was pecking it was just the usual "getting to know you stuff" and nothing more vicious than that.

 

Hope things settle down soon.

 

Linda

[Karen & co.]

What lovely photos they will soon all settle in

 

karen x

[Elaine C]

Thanks all your advice and comments.

 

I let them all out together yesterday morning in their netted area and prepared for mayhem but actually it wasn't as bad as I expected. After an initial ugly stand off between the two gingernuts the rest of the day was a few pecks and a lot of chasing around and no blood drawn. Then they all went to bed peacefully in their own eglus. The Horsham 3 seem to be giving as good as they get and I think that Kipper will turn out to be top girl in the end.

 

Today, they all have to be left in the run for most of the day as I have to do some study. Will be able to to pop down and check on them every now and again and then let them out later. But they will be confined to the run during the week anyway while I'm at work. So far ok just a lot of chasing around.

 

It will be interesting to see how the heirachy changes when things do settle down.

 

Thanks again - glad I've done it sooner.

 

E

[Lindsay]

Elaine, glad to hear all is settling down well! As you know I just got two more pals for my Marigold yesterday, so I have been reading with interest how you have integrated your new girls. Your experience has certainly spurred me on to just 'go for it' and get them together in a small netted area and see what happens. I was pleased with how things went last night when they were all sleepy, but it's a different matter when they're all wide awake and Marigold is ready for battle!!