Smart Feeder - Light sensor values

[chickenNutter]

Chaps, I know there has been a lot on here lately about intros, but I think I need some moral support with mine. I have a Welsummer, a frizzle bantam and another bantam of unknown variety called Hetty who seems to be top of the pecking order. They live in an eglu in a WIR.

 

I have been given a totally gorgeous and very tame and docile Silkie, and bought on the same day a partridge Wyandotte who is only about 15 weeks and quite small still. They bonded straight away in a second eglu and eglu run. I let the big girls free range around their eglu after a few days, and after a week they were all free ranging in the garden in 2 separate groups, with minimal chasing. After a fortnight I put the second eglu in the WIR, along with more feeders and drinkers, to see if I could get them all together, but Hetty has been completely evil, and ignoring the Wyandotte is obsessed with pecking the silkie. The Welsummer joins in to curry favour with Hetty. Mabel the frizzle does not join in at all. I put a barrier across the WIR so they could live side by side for a while, and even put the frizzle in with the newbies, and they get on fine. I am trying to take the barrier down now, but Hetty, backed up by Ruby the Welsummer is constantly pecking at the silkie. No blood has been drawn, and today I have shut the eglu doors, and I am leaving them to get on with it, but the silkie looks miserable, and I am losing heart.

 

Is it the case that some combinations just do not work, and never get on? I do not know whether to separate them again. I am reluctant to, as with the barrier up they only have a very small space around the eglus. I am sitting freezing in the kitchen with the door open so I can hear and keep checking on them, and have a squirty bottle of water at the ready to split up fights. chasing and pecking is happening every 10 minutes or so at the moment, and they do not seem to be pinning her down, but it is very upsetting. Do I continue?

 

[scarlettohara]

Perhaps go back a step to splitting the WIR again and give them a bit longer but keep up with the fring ?

[chickenNutter]

Yes, I was wondering that, I am a bit worried that it is going backwards and may be counter productive. I am in a bit of a quandry.

[JPalmer]

ChickenNutter,

 

I am going through the same situation with two exceptions I only have one eglu so putting 3 chooks in a box every night inside the house and taking out every day . Plus I have 2 blasted cockerals that can't keep doing the "spring fever" with the new girls who never had sex-ed classes or were told by their mom's about the issue. I don't dare leave them to it since I work all day and can't be there to referee. I never see blood but then I never let it get too far either. Mine are within the WIR just used the run of the Eglu to separate an area for the new girls and like you one of the new girls will join in even the boys will join in if the head chook goes after the little one . So please let me know if you get it sorted and I will do the same

[Olly]

I'd be inclined to press on, if no blood is being drawn. There are two elements in introduction - one is making them familiar with the other hens, so that they don't see them as a stranger and an enemy. Even after this point has passed however, they still need to sort out the pecking order and they can only do that when they are in the same run together - however long you take over introductions, there will be a bit of shouting, pecking and bullying. Some hens just adapt more quickly than others.

 

I introduced Pippi as a single chicken two years ago, and after a couple of weeks she was choosing to go to bed with the other hens at dusk rather than back into her own run - even so, she spent most of the first couple of weeks perching at the top of the Cube ladder and looking miserable and frightened. I made sure she had access to food and water and gave them as much free time as I could, and eventually she was joining in with the others.

 

As long as no actual injury is being inflicted, and there are plenty of food/water stations, I would carry on and let them sort it out.

[chickenNutter]

Thanks for that Olly, I really appreciate it as I have not done any introductions before, therefore I am not sure what is normal 'putting in place' behaviour and what is excessive aggression.

 

Today is the first time they have been all together for any length of time in the WIR, and I shut the eglu doors as none of them are laying at the moment, and when I tried this before, the newbies kept fleeing into the eglu, and the bullies followed them in to corner them and beat them up.

 

Things have got slightly better as the day has gone on - the newbies are being firmly kept in one corner of the run where they have food and water and are only really pecked if they try to come out of the corner, but I am hoping the bullies will get bored with this game in time. (crosses fingers )

 

I am not sure what to do tomorrow as I have to go in to work. I feel I should build on today and continue, but I am worried that I will not be there to prevent the worst excesses. What do you think?

 

I have to admire Dot, the Partridge Wyandotte, who is only 15 weeks and a real little dot, the size of an oversized pidgeon - she keeps on trying to come out and join the flock, despite the disadvantage of her size - she is certainly a brave little thing. Pool Lilo Lil the Silkie, she is so gentle and tame, I am sure she can't understand why they are all picking on her. Bless.

 

Oooh it's hard being a chicken mummy sometimes!

[LOVELY-RED]

Hi all

Brand new to this forum... we need some help..

We purchased our Miss Pepperpot, (her name is Blue) from Omlet in June 2009 along with a Gingernut Ranger and of course an Igloo, the pair of them lived happily free range in our average sized garden, they both would come in doors for treats or to just "hang out", watching TV, jumping up onto the cooker and "Ooops, word censored!"ing everywhere. All was well. Until one day a big bad Fox came and Murdered our lovely Gingernut ( her name was Red), to say we are upset would be an understatement, i never believed i would be so upset about the loss of a Chicken. Anyway, we felt so sorry for Blue all on her own looking for her pal so we purchaed another Gingernut from a local farm, 25 weeks old and a lovely little chicken, but Blue will not have it, she attacks at every opportunatey and i`m sure she will kill her if left alone... any ideas anyone... we need help

We love you Red

[chickenNutter]

Lovely Red, so sorry to hear about your loss. Introducing 1 to 1 can be tricking from what I gather, and introducing 2 together may have been easier, but you need to do it gradually. I think there is a 'sticky' somewhere on the forum on introductions. I will try and find it for you, otherwise I am sure someone else will be along soon who has done a 1-1 introduction.

 

I think I would put a barrier across the eglu run with garden canes, and add a box of some sort to the other end to keep the chooks separate but near each other until they become more used to each other. There has been a recent post from someone who has done that with pictures.

 

Good luck, and don't lose heart.

[LOVELY-RED]

Hi ChickenNutter

Many thanks for that, never thought about seperating the run, sounds like a good idea, will give it a go, at the moment we keep the new chook (no name yet) in the run during the day while our old chook Blue free ranges, then at dusk we take the newby and keep her in out utility room at night.

I think it needs lot of patience, but i`m sure we will get there.

If you could find the "sticky"?, that would be great

[chickenNutter]

Go to 'Frequently asked questions' on the board index, (under The Nesting Box US) then 'Chickens' and there is a locked post or 'sticky' on introducing point of lay hens with some really useful advice.

 

Hope it gets better. Keep us posted.