Chicken shack Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 (edited) HELP I collected two new yesterday and the girl said that I should put them all in together when I get home and they will sort themselves out. It was dark when I arrived home so I put them in the with the other three. I got up early before 7am to open the bedroom door and all apeared ok one was even pecking at the food, however later on the two new girls were cowering at the back of the run and were getting attacked if they so much as moved. I let my origonal 3 out to FR to enable the two new girls to eat and drink but they wouldn't even eat meal worms and took themselve up the ladder into the . I have had to put the old girls back in the run as I was getting so cold out there. I don't have any alternative accomodation to put them in as I was told not to bother. Will they sort themselves out Edited January 30, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Its not ideal but as you dont have any alternative accomodation you dont have a lot of choices Yes they will sort it out, add a couple more food and water pots so food doesnt become an issue (the little hook on coop cups are ok for this and cheap) Keep an eye out for bloodshed, if blood is shed you will have no choice but to separate the injured one at least and possibly the other one for her own protection. Have some purple spray to hand Sometimes adding newbies straight to an existing flock (after an isolation period) is ok, it depends on the flock, the amount of space and the breed but really you cant beat a proper slow segregated introduction, its just fairer all round Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 You could try taking your old girls inside in a box or cat carrier for the night just to de-stabilise them a little. The new girls would then have the to themselves for a bit to build up a some confidence. You may need to repeat this for a few nights. I have heard that this sometimes works though I have not tried it. I do know that as Redwing says, it is very important not to allow a chicken with any blood on her to be amongst the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Like has been said it isn't ideal. I introduced two new girls last week. Initially I had thought to split the run into two using netting. However they decided to take up residence on the Cube roof inside the WIR instead, and this segregated them quite nicely from the rest of my lot, so that was the arrangement adopted. For the first few days I made sure that my existing girls were FR and the new girls had the WIR to themselves, so they could get to the food, as they were chased off the food as soon as they were spotted going for it. I also hung a feeder above the Cube so they could eat whenever they wanted, even when my old girls were in the WIR. There was a bit of pecking, but it was handbags at 20 paces really - nothing nasty and definitely no blood and no worse than the occasional bickering within the existing flock. A week later and they are all pottering about happily together. From day 4 they were FR together happily. They've even had a dust bath together Cori does occasionally flap and run around which sets everybody off but mostly it is peace and harmony. The new girls still like the roof of the Cube so I have covered it with Bliss bedding to absorb the poo and there is still a feeder there, and when I have to leave them all in the WIR, a drinker as well. Tomorrow is the first big test as they will be in the WIR all day while we are busy working. Yours will all get used to each other eventually. Try locking your old girls out of the run and giving it to the new girls on their own during the day so they can get confidence in their territory. Then when they have settled a bit, FR them all together as there is more space for them to avoid each other and they can get used to feeding in the presence of each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 I think Docsquid's idea of FR them altogether where there is more room for the newbies to escape, is a good one, especially if you have several bowls of food and water about the place to reduce competition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 You have an extension on your run so you can divide it if you want. I used a hotchpotch of garden canes tied across to divide it and a bit of expanding trellis as a door and some other bits. Lot of people introduce them your way so I'd carry on and if there is damage then look at other ways but as Redwing says several pots of food and water and also perches or branches, stools etc to jump out of the way help. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Advice on introductions here If you can rig something up to keep them separate for a week or so, to quarantine them in case they are carrying an illness which may pass on to your existing flock, it would a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlettohara Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 I've pm'd you chickenshack - I have a rabbit hutch you can borrow, however it was only £30 from Zooplus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted January 21, 2011 Author Share Posted January 21, 2011 Thank you for all your help. With such a small garden I don't have anything around to section off the run. I let my old girls free range today but the new girls just went into the I have put food and water in there and will make sure I have food and water at the back of the run. They are little devils really they are all snuggled up in the nesting box tonight. I have to go out tomorrow so we will have to wait and see. They havn't drawn blood. When I do this again I will get OH to make a divider with door. Forward planning. Will let you all know how they get on, you are a great lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Perhaps they'll wake up good mates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 The girls still hate each other . The old girls free ranged all afternoon and are still out now however the new girls won't come out of the . I had to shut them out while I cleaned it out today and they justed waited on the ladder till I finished. They are eating and drinking thank goodness. OH said that there was a huge row when the old girls went into lay while I was out this morning. Tomorrow will be an day as I leave home at 8.30am and won't be back till 9.30pm OH will be around though. I think I will get an end panel to put in the run so I can divide it up next time I need to inroduce new hens it will be worth the expense. After all I do have Morehens desease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 It is now 5 days since I collected the new girls and although there hasn't been any blood shed things are still far from ideal. The new girls will not/can't come out of the not even into the run for fear of being chased back up. I have put food and water in there and they are eating well. Yesterday my origonal 3 FR and they still wouldn't come out of the . I needed to clean the so I shut them out and the poor things just sat on the ladder untill I finished. Today I took them out and they were chased back up. My original girls still go up to lay and they all snuggle down at night. I am thinking of ordering a cube end panel and section it of leaving the new girls at the back with the cube and placing a box in there for the original 3 to lay and allowing them to sleep together at night. This will cost me and by the time it arrives and I am able to adapt it they may be OK. What do you all think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Rhode Island Red Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I don't just put new hens in with the origional flock(learn from experience, when I introduced American girl, they pecked her to death ...yes...death ), I have a second arc and I keep them there as well as letting them around the garden so they can see the origional flock and vice versa, but can't attack them. After 3 weeks of that I put them in with origioanal flock and, bar a few pecks, there is no problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 It does sound like sectioning them off for a while would be a good idea. It really depends on the chooks - I would never put them straight in together unless I were really able to supervise them and I had confidence in the health of the chooks being introduced. You could section off the run with canes and a bit of netting or mesh - you don't have to go to the expense of an end panel. My lot are now happily FR together and the new girls are competing well for food, grapes and mealies. There are a few pecks, but then again, my old girls peck each other from time to time too - basically they are integrated, although with the new girls near the bottom of the pecking order. That is in two weeks. They chose their own method of segregation (on top of the Cube) despite my sectioning off a bit of the WIR but there is no accounting for what chooks will do - but they were effectively segregated. They do need time to get used to each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I think you have to count the positives - and that is mainly that there is no blood shed! So it is not all bad. I am not sure I would start dividing them at this stage (but that is just me, and others may well disagree) as things aren't terrible. Maybe some toughish love though... Think I would start by taking the food/drink out of the coop itself, so they have to come out to feed, and at the same time keep the oldies free ranging whenever possible (keep multiple feeding and drinking stations though within the run). This way, the newies will get used to the run and feeding/drinking in the run. Then when they are more confident (couple of days?), I would kick the newies out to force them to start FR with the oldies, so they can get used to the big wide world (or your back garden at least!) and playing together during the day - more space means the newies can escape the oldies when necessary and it is not so intense. Plus there is lots to do in a garden - like digging and scratching, so they won't chase just because there is not much else to do! Would also try and break up the run by sticking lots of things in it, so when they are all in there together the oldies struggle to do any chasing - canes going across the run at funny angles etc - anything so they can't get a clear run! That is just my thoughts - good luck with whatever you do - they will integrate at some point - and remember, it is only a few days in and there is no blood - so there is light at the end of the tunnel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I too am not sure I'd go to great expense trying to segragate them at this stage. Any bugs will already have been transmitted by now and as C&T says there is no blood shed. I'd recommend putting something like a stout stick or small branch across one end of the run, within hopping distance of the coop entrance, so that the new girls can hop from the door to the branch and be out of harm's way. Then hang up something like a corn stick or some tasty greens so that they can reach this from their branch. For water you can put one of those little budgie tube things on the outside, up high as well. I did this when integrating my little black Silkie with my other hens. She was (still is) the most gentle of my girls even though she is the biggest, and she was scared of the others for quite some time, but being able to come out and yet stay up and out of the way seemed to help her to build a bit of confidence. After a day or so of this, with them all in together, I then FR them all. You'd need to watch carefully, however, if you do keep them all in together. I haven't had Faverolles, but I have read that they too are very gentle, possibly more so than your other girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Have you tried squirting water at the old girls when they try and chase the new ones to break the habit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlettohara Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 You can buy cheap plastic netting from Wilko and cut it to size and make a divider using twisty ties (also from Wilko) to divide the run - I did this when I introduced new bantams into the eglu run. You may have to do a bit of juggling to let them out to freerange but that is better than having traumatised chooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I also put some plastic across at first to obstruct the view so they couldn't be intimidated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted January 30, 2011 Author Share Posted January 30, 2011 DAY 10 Thank you for all your advice. The two new girls still stay in the and wont go in the run. I have been off work since Friday and allowed them to FR (they come out the egg port) only letting the original three out later in the day. Still not ideal but getting better as they get chased but I think they are gaining confidence. I have also put a pirch near the entrance in the hope they will be brave enough to venture out. I am off to Pets at Home to buy some small feeders to hook up. They are still all sleeping together and appear fine. I will buy an end panel when I next introduce new girls. It is a shame I am at work tomorrow OH wont let them out just incase something happens. I have still not named them yet , they have such sweet natures and will allow us to stoke and pick them up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
