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MadAboutChooks

introduction ideas

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Hi there, We are in the process of getting a WIR built and when completed 15x6 I want to introduce 3 new chooks to our family. Now I am just wondering what is the best way to introduce them. I have an (green eglu) with a converter and extension at the moment, but have a (cube purple) arriving monday. Now what I am thinking is that I will put the eglu with the converter inside the WIR with the new chooks inside so that they can get used to each other, the original chooks will just be inside the WIR, then I will let them out to Free range around the garden together to try and get them used to each other. I am hoping that this will only take a week or so as it is going to be a bit cramped inside the WIR with the eglu and converter. Does this idea sound feasible or can anyone think of a better way of doing it. Please help this is the first time I have done this and am very worried that I will have major problems. Hopefully someone with experience will offer me words of wisdom. Many Thanks.

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Hi there!

 

Congrats on your cube and WIR, How exciting :D:D

 

When our WIR went up we put the cube at one end and the eglu at the other, then we put up a temporary fence made out of chicken wire and fashioned a little gate so we could get in there. It can be a tad cramped but it's not for ever. That way they can get beak to beak and we used to put treats along the dividing fence.

 

I am very conservative with my intros and do them over a minimum of 5 weeks or so. When I think they are ready we let them have supervised playtime for a few minutes a day and then it's get longer as time goes on, then they usually do nights together and eventually they live happily ever after :D:D:D

 

That any help?

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To be honest, if I was you, then I would stick the Cube in the WIR and put the eglu inside with it's run on. Leave the old girls in the eglu and run and place the new girls in the cube and WIR. after a week then let them all out for a FR and then see how it goes. If there is loads of constant fighting then place them back in their runs but they may be fine. After another week then start letting them out in the WIR together and then after another couple leave them all in the WIR together but with the eglu still in there. When the oldies decide to go to bed in the cube then take the eglu away.

 

:)

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I just did this recently but because it was a whole new run I put the 3 new ones and the 2 old ones in together. There was some bullying but after a week it was fine and now, a month later, all 5 are pecking away happily together.

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Thanks everyone,

Some really usefull ideas, I feel a lot less stressed about it now, fingers crossed intro's go without a hitch. I will keep you informed and post pictures of the new run and chooks when they arrive. We are getting a couple of Columbines so we are hopefull of !eggblue! is there anyway of telling which chook is likely to lay !eggblue! by their colouring?????I read somewhere that if they look for like legbars then they are more likely to lay !eggblue! anyone know if this is true

:D

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