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Chicken died - what to buy next?

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One of our two chickens died some days ago. Some people have already suggested that we get two new ones, instead of just replacing one.

 

The one that died was a Gingernut, the other is a Pepperpot. The thing now is whether the replacements should be Gingernuts or Pepperpots. I quite enjoyed the inquisitiveness of the Ginger, but she was agressive as well. The Pepperpot does not always like to handled, but she is definitely a better egg layer.

 

Any suggestions? Should I maybe look for totally another breed maybe? The will be housed in an Eglu.

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I agree, get 2 more. I have 5 hybrids and they are all good layers - a Daisybelle (black with white collar, beautiful glossy feathers, very friendly, my favourite!), a Bluebelle (smallest eggs of the 5, nice colour, not so friendly), a Speckledy, lovely dark eggs, big fat puffalump!), a Lohmann Brown (a bit scraggy, seems to have been moulting for ages but still laying!), a Sussex Star (white with black collar, very dainty, 2nd favourite). Have fun choosing!

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Have a look at the Medowsweet website,where most of the breeds mentioned are sold.They have agents all over the country.

All of my hens are Medowsweet girls ,so have a look at the photos from the link below :P

 

Best thing is to find a seller,give them a ring,pop over & choose a couple that take your fancy.

We went intending to get a Bluebell ,Susses Star & Silver Star, but the White Star we saw stole our hearts,& so did our Rhode Star.

There is a lot to be said for taking a look & choosing on instinct - our hens are all lovely & friendly,& we choose them because they seemed that way at the farm 8)

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Thanx for the advice. I have found a Meadowsheet agent nearby, so we'll ring them up.

 

Someone else mentioned to that it might be worthwhile getting the two bords from different flocks, so that they don't team up on the older hen.

 

Another thing to figure out is how to introduce them. I guess this means I'll have to construct a temporary run in the backyard next to to the Eglurun. Pity one cannot 'rent a run' for the introduction period.

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Sadly one of our original hens (Penelope, a Pepperpot) died suddenly on Easter Saturday leaving Felicity (GNR) all alone. We dashed out Monday to get two new hens to keep her company ending up with a lovely Speckledy (Polly) and Bluebelle (Sybil). Somewhat naively we assumed that because Felicity was so gentle and friendly with us and Pen, she would be so overjoyed to have company we could put them all in together no problem - yeah right! Whilst we have been lucky - no blood or serious fighting involved so far, Felicity spent the whole first afternoon literally screaming with outrage and pacing around the run like a terradactil ready to swoop. Poor little Polly just fled into the eglu followed by a slightly more chilled Sybil. They all did sleep together fine that night, but during the day Felicity patrols the run, leaving the other two inside the eglu until I return from work and let her outside, leaving the coast clear for the other two to emerge. Feel really bad as maybe Felicity would have actually preferred to be alone, being the spoilt 'chiild' that she is. Presumably they will eventually be friends?!!!

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I am currently using a large dog cage which i have borrowed off a friend.

 

The new girls have the run of the play area in the morning while the older girls eat mash and lay, confined to the Eglu run.

 

We swap them over just after lunch

 

The first few days were noisy to say the least - was convinced hilda and Vera had turned into cockerels!! Things seem to be a little quiter now (Week 2) but not sure what will happen when they eventually are allowed to mingle :roll:

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The squawking will lessen.............everytime we have introduced new chooks the exsisting ones have informed the entire neighbourhood of their arrival :roll::roll:

 

After 2-3 days the squawking subsides and so does any pecking. Unless any of the chooks are badly injured you just have too let them get on with it as you just prolong the integration. It is very very hard to watch and I hate it but having done it a few times now I know peace will return and they will all be happy together :D:D

 

Always introduce at least 2 as they will find solace in each other for the first few days, making it less stressful for them. We have always found that by week6-8 you have one united flock and you would never know they hadn't been together all their lives :D:D:D

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I didn't separate mine, even though there was blood. It took about 24 hours of fighting before they tolerated each other, and now the two main protagonists are the best of friends and lie in a heap in their dust-bath together.

 

It is best to ignore them and let them sort it out. I was very distressed as it was the first time I had seen anything like it, but I will be much harder when I get my Mark 3 and new hens: I will shut them up together and go inside.

 

I haven't heard of any life-threatening injuries when hens are introduced. Has anyone experienced anything more than the odd nasty beak stab? Hens don't have spurs like cockerels, thankfully.

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We had two ginger nut rangers which were the friendliest pets ever both laying one egg a day each. Unfortunately, Hattie was poorly and had to be put down but ave today taken delivery of two more gingernuts. We too thought that our lovely Lulu would welcome them but she has been beastly and when in the run, won't let them out of the eglu into the run with her! :o It's early days but fingers crossed they will all sleep peacefully tonight.

Jane :D and Poppy 8)

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They're usually fine at night when they're all a bit docile. You've done the right thing introducing two new ones together. I would always do that. It can be a shock when your lovely, friendly hen turns out to be a bit of a bully, can't it. :? It will soon work itself out, though - all the girls will establish the flock hierarchy between them.

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The new new hens arrived on Saturday morning. I had to pick them up from a Meadowsweet agent near Milton Keynes. So now we got us a Bovan Goldline (Madeleine) and a Black Rock (Zorba).

 

I had run separated by a net and placed the newcomers into a different section. Zorba immediately went out to peck the resident Ms Pepperpot (Pekkie) through the net, but one definitive peck from Pekkie sent her scrambling for cover. It did not taker much to sort out the pecking order!

 

By the end of the day we let them run together. A bit of chasing occurred yesterday & today, but very little pecking. They shared the eglu without a problem as well.

 

Tomorrow will be a real test as they will not be out of the eglu run for the whole morning.

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Good luck - it sounds as though you have it sorted though. Ours took over a week to sort out the pecking order - it drove me crazy :roll: and I began to wish I hadn't bothered to get new chickens to keep lulu company! Every day meant separating off the run etc. In the end I had to go out in a rush one morning and left them to it - they'd sorted themselves out by the time I'd returned! They are now the best of friends, within their pecking order of course!

Enjoy the new girls

:D

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