Eglu Go With 2m Run For Sale

[Tizzabell]

Hi,

 

This is my first post and I am relatively new to keeping hens, so bear with me! We got our first hens (3 Gingernuts; Maud, Gertie and Audrey) in the new year and they have settled in really well. They have a spacious coop/run/nesting box (not an Eglu though), and have a 10' square fenced off section in the garden to roam in. A friend of mine wanted to give away her 2 hens and as we have plenty of space we agreed to take them on (Sybil, a white Plymouth Rock and Rolly, a Miss Pepperpot). The 2 newbies are much larger than the Gingers, with Polly being the biggest. Sybil has asserted herself as numero uno from the start, but we have kept them separated but next to each other for 3 weeks. For 2 weeks now we have been gradually letting them play together, and have let them roam freely together for the last 2 days. Sybil is very aggressive with the red hens and has been jumping on 2 of them in particular, pulling feathers out on their necks and heads. The red hens seem petrified of her at times, although they have all been sleeping in the nesting box together for the last 2 nights, and they are all still laying almost daily.

Is Sybil likely to calm down at all? How long does it take?! She is very vocal as well, and wakes me up very early (and no doubt the neighbours too!) with her constant clucking! I'd hate to have to give the newbies away, but can't have the Gingers bullied like this - it's too hard to watch!

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum . Your story is quite a common one on this forum! I introduced 2 new girls to 3 existing ones and had to keep them separate for a lot longer than 3 weeks. It was probably more like 7 . I think it all depends on the character of the top (or bully!) hen how easily they integrate. I would persevere for a few more weeks. It sounds like you're doing all the right things but it's just taking time. (Have you tried a water pistol on the bully? It can work .) Sometimes divide and conquer can help too - if you can put the new girls in with the others minus the top hen, that might take the wind out of her sails (or wings!).

[chicken bark]

Hi Tizzabell

 

I purchased a water pistol today just in case I have similar problems integrating my girls.

I hope it works out for you.

[Tizzabell]

Thanks to you both - that's very reassuring. We will deffinitely persevere as they are beautiful hens and it's wonderful to see them when they are getting on. I will deffinitely be getting a water pistol though as it's easier to shoot through the fence then to keep going in there to pull her off! I'll see how it goes with leaving them together (with water pistol at hand) for now, and if she doesn't settle I'll shut her in the run on her own for a while longer. Thanks again for your suggestions. Any more tips for integrating are still welcome!

 

T