BocBoc Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Our new bantams have been in their little house and run since Sunday. They've settled in well, eating, drinking and scratching well, we've also had three eggs from Kwak this week The big girls have continued to free range and I give them their treats in the evening near to the new girls so they can get used to each other through the protection of the weld-mesh! No argy bargy so far. The plan I have is.....to let the new girlsout to free range for the last couple of hours tomorrow evening whilst the big girls are in their run. This will give the bantams time to explore the garden on their own. Then I thought on Sunday I would let them all free range together - I'll be out cleaning the Eglu and the little house so I can keep an eye on things and use the water pistol if required. Does this sounds like a plan?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Sounds like a good plan! Good luck, hope it goes well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Good luck I shall be thinking of you. I have just moved my little house and run with the three new girls into the WIR so that they can get to know each other through the wire. I am thinking about putting them all to sleep together on Sun night as I am up early during the week and can take them out during the day. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitewestie Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Good luck, I also have some new bantams to introduce to my little white Merrydale Sweetie who I have had to separate because she was being bullied and having her feathers pulled out. I have had two silver partridge Pekins in a temporary run in the greenhouse with a cat box to sleep in for the past two weeks. They are now 18 weeks old and as I am home next week I am hoping to get them together with my lone hen. So far so good, they have met several times and been free ranging together this week. There has been a little pecking but nothing too violent so far, so fingers crossed. I have introduced chickens before but it can be a really a traumatic time. Its horrible to see them pecking the newcomers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Welcome Whitewestie good luck with your intros. The pekins should be old enough not to be intimidated and your other hen is a lovely breed. We need pictures. Yes Bocboc pictures especially on sunday. Good luck. Can we have pictures of you climbing the walls to get them back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlettohara Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Sounds like a great plan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I also have some new bantams to introduce to my little white Merrydale Sweetie who I have had to separate because she was being bullied and having her feathers pulled out. That is interesting, I have a Merrydale Sweetie, Latte and she is my bully, very friendly with people but with other chooks she often pecks them, at times I have had to seperate her victims. Do you have any other Merrydale hybrids? I hope your intros work out for you. I put off introducing two of my new girls for months as I don't like to see them sorting out the pecking order Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BocBoc Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 We had a Merrydale Sweetie! Our last batch of big girls (Mittens, Agnes, Morag and Haggis) were from Merrydale. Two of them died with in a couple of weeks (Haggis the Sweetie and Morag) and Agnes has had her beak clipped So, no idea what little Haggis would have turned out to be like, poor thing Sounds like you've all been introducing recently so I'll take comfort in that. Fingers crossed it all goes well for us this weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlettohara Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 How's it going ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitewestie Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Well so far so good. I put Tiger and Lily (the two new bantams) in the run with Sweetie late yesterday afternoon after I had cleaned out the house and run. There was a little bit of chasing and pecking from Sweetie but on the whole it wasn't too bad so I left them in there and they all slept together. I was up early this morning to let them out and they have been together all day and are now tucked up for their second night together. I have put in an extra food and drink station and I have seen the banties eating and drinking today so I am not worried about them being deprived of food. They have kept out of Sweeties way as much as possible but apart from the odd peck she has ignored them. When I opened up the run for freeranging Sweetie headed off to her favourite dust bath area and the little ones stayed on the patio looking longingly at the greenhouse where they had a temporary run before. I'm pleased with the way things have gone today. I think having them separate but within sight of each other for two weeks has helped the integration process. Fingers crossed that we carry on in the same way. My other two are both Merrydale chickens. Lady Anabel is a cross legbar who lays blue eggs and Bluebell is a big Merrydale Blue and they are now living together in the Eglu while Sweetie and the Banties are in a wooden house on the patio. Hope everyone elses intro's are going well. I'm looking forward to reading about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Boc Boc how are your intros going. Westwhitie glad your are going ok. I have all the chooks in together now, there was a bit of chasing going on today but nothing too major. I think it has helped that the new girls are older and know each other, the little frizzle is very fiesty. They have all gone to bed together tonight apart from Lola who is in the sin bin for a month to try and stop her pulling everyones feathers out. She was also the one doing most of the chasing, they all get on much better without her. Keep fingers crossed that everyones intos carry on going well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenNutter Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Coco, sin bin for a month? Asbo Chicken has gone to Borstal for a week, possibly 2 - do you think I should make it longer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 She's been in the sin bin for two weeks a while ago but started feather pecking as soon as I let her out. I shall probably let her out before a month especially if the weather goes cold. She is in the WIr with the others just in her own little house and run. I do feel guilty but four of the girls have bare patches and she's always been a bully , I'm hoping a longer seperation will bring her down in the pecking order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
