peanut12 Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Just for anyone considering adding to their existing girls...having done so on numerous occasions before with no problems whatsoever, this week we have had some interesting and expensive developments: Added 2 new girls, a POL coucou and a POL skyline to our existing bluebelle, sussex and pepperpot last Saturday. We have done numerous successful introductions both at home and at work and have always previously taken the 'in for a penny, in for a pound' approach. The first 2 days were fairly normal with a bit of pecking/squabbling. Each night we put them all to be together and on the 3rd night they did so voluntarily. However, next morning I noticed some blood on the top of Crackers our coucou's head. On closer inspection - attempting to bathe and tar - we noticed that it was in fact a gash that had gone right through and created a flap of skin about the size of a 50p on her head My guts turned as I lifted a feather and the whole of her skull came into view. We took her to the vet and 2 hours, some anaesthetic , antibiotics and several stitches later she was back in the run, separated from our older girls, with the skyline as company. She is now doing well and will have her stitches out on Friday next. she is chirpy and eating and drinking and seems as good as new (apart from the stitches poking out the top of her head) £82 later - I would definitely encourage a slow step-by-step introduction And crackers has now been renamed FrankieStein for obvious reasons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickyhazel Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 We lawys give at least 2 weeks of newbies being in sight but not peking distance, and this shows us why! The poor poor hen - I hope she recovers nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 oooh I hope the Frankiestein recovers nicely. Keep an eye on her pen mate...incase she takes an interest in the wound too. I always follow this great intro guide and my quickest intro was four weeks and longest about 16 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlettohara Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Your poor chook,how she makes a good recovery. However I think £82 is pretty good considering all your had done but then I am used to equine vets bills The intro guide is excellent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Ouch . Poor little thing, hope she recovers OK . One of my new girls lost a bit of her comb due to a peck from an old girl, luckily not too serious and nowhere near as bad as yours . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlo Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Ooh - that sounds painful. I hope that things settle soon for you and your flock! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 That is a shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 After almost a year we have one hen who has never got use to 'new' hens we got last April they were not fully together until July last year. This has resulted in her being in isolation for a couple of months. Without her we very quickly (over a week) introduced two new hens to the others without any issue. Clearly any intros need to be watched carefully. In our situation we have learnt it was a particular hen that wouldn't change and no amount of going slowly, bumper bits, anti-pecking spray, etc will change her. Let's hope yours recovers well. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brambles Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 we're 8 months into an introduction! the girls are now happily free ranging together with the odd peck and scuffle but do not cope at all with being in the cube together - my legbar's comb was badly pecked and bleeding. So we continue to take it slowly. I think I'm going to take the top girl out, although this is a changing situation as my chief hen has been under the weather and another one has asserted herself - she's a minx though and will be put into the eglu classic for a bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanut12 Posted April 16, 2010 Author Share Posted April 16, 2010 Thanks for all your messages. Frankie went back to the vet for a check up yesterday and she is doing really well. apart from her strange head - she is doing everything a normal happy hen would be doing, just with a bit more punk style! She is a very good natured bird (takes her antibiotics without any fuss) and we reckon she was shielding her younger skyline penmate, thus taking one for the team so to speak We are keeping a very close eye on them and will let them free range together for a short period tomorrow while we are in the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanut12 Posted April 17, 2010 Author Share Posted April 17, 2010 Well we let all 5 girls free range in the garden (under supervision) this morning and it is clearly Tilly, our Bluebelle, who is starting the trouble. She was the subordinate of the original 3 and is obviously stating her case for promotion. The other 2, Kim and Brush, were far more interested in the worms in the garden. They had about an hour out and the 2 new girls popped out for a bit, but soon returned to the run. Main thing is they are all perky and there is no rush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollie333 Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 Oh dear! I hope your girl is better soon.. We had to pay £79 for cheryl to have a check up, and antibiotics, but the pain relif came free, or it would of been about 90.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mabelandflosmum Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 Mollie 333, I am intrigued, does your turkey roost with your chickens at night? Was she a rescue turkey? She looks very cute! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 My two newbies are tucked up safely in the eglu facing the cube with the velociraptors. They will stay safely apart until the exsisting chooks stop intimidating them by stalking the run with tail feathers high and all puffed up for a fight! Slow integrations have always gone well for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanut12 Posted April 20, 2010 Author Share Posted April 20, 2010 Bumper bits arrived today and fitted to our 3 older girls - boy, they were not happy! They tried pecking at the new girls a couple of times and seemed to give up really quickly. Not exactly persistent animals are they! Hopefully, this will make life easier and safer for all concerned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanut12 Posted April 26, 2010 Author Share Posted April 26, 2010 Frankie has had her stitches out now and the vet was very happy _ she'd never stitched a hen before! Frankie's feathers are already growing back and she'll soon look good as new (and she's started laying - shame we can't eat them for a month) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
