Unsecure chicken perches

[alison1]

I have had my 2 Omlet girls, Nellie and Nonny (Miss P and a Gingernut R) for a year now, living in their eglu. I have recently bought an eglu cube and yesterday I acquired 5 bantams (2 buff orpingtons, 2 pekins and a buff Columbian): Fancy, Flounce, Flossie, Flirt and Finty.

 

I put the new girls into the cube when I got them home and the Omlet girlies are in the eglu so they can all see each other but are physically separated. The plan is to get everyone into the Cube and to remove the eglu and sell it to a chum.

 

I would appreciate any tips anyone can give me on how to help the new girls settle in. 2 of the smallest really struggled with the cube ladder last night and needed to be helped to bed. No way was I just going to leave them there struggling as it was tanking it down with rain. They also really struggled this morning and needed to be lifted down. I am wondering whether they will get the hang of it, or do I need to provide a different type of ramp for them. The cube ladder does seem a long way off the ground and to have very big gaps for such little birds. I realise I might be fussing overmuch, but I am a little worried that they might injure themselves. They don’t seem to have got the hang of the drinkers yet, either, so I have put some bowls of water out for them.

 

The pekins and the columbian all cuddled up in the nest box last night, rather than using the roosting bars. Is this okay?

 

In 5 days time, I will let them range with the older girls and if all goes well I want everyone living together in the cube by the end of August? Is this a realistic expectation? Also, I have heard that spraying all the birds with dilute vinegar helps prevent squabbling between the old and the new? Has anyone tried this and if so, did it work?

 

Look forward to getting lots of good advice. I’m still pretty new to all this!

[Guest]

If it the pekin's they take a little time to be able to fly high up.

[The Dogmother]

You can always put a brick or similar under the ladder until they get used to it. I used to have a Dutch and a Japanese bantam - the smallest bantams; they managed the ladder just fine. It's just a question of what they are used to.

 

You mention the rain... i take it that you have a clear, waterproof cover over your run. If not, then I'd advise one.