Take part in study on PFAS 'forever chemicals' in eggs

[Tipper]

Hello,

some of you may know that on Thursday/Fri 2 of my 3 pekin bantams were killed by my mother's dog

 

So..i have a 1 year old Lavender Pekin Bantam who has been very lonely and confused on her own. Today i purchased a gold partridge pekin bantam (what we had before) and a frizzle (don't ask how i ended up with her) both POL.

 

Bought them home at 6pm, they FR together side by side no problem. Then i put them in the run.... plenty of water and food stations....but Jessy (my older Lavender) kept jumping and pecking at the gold partridge. After all the stress of this week i seperated them, Jessy has gone to bed in the Eglu and Frizzle and Penny are in the run in a makeshift nest thing.

 

Where do i go from here...they seem to be happy to FR together and they are allowed to do this for the majority of the day all week.

 

I'm thinking i need to get another house and let them sleep seperately and be shut seperately if need be, but leave them to FR together and perhaps they will just all go into an Eglu together one night?

 

I'm feeling quite squemish about the pecking...am i just being a total wimp lol.

 

Advice please for integrating 2 newbies to my beloved Jessy.

[poppy ben grace]

Hi sorry to read about your poor bantams how awful. Regarding your newbies you could try waiting until your lavender has gone to bed then pop the others in. If it is darkish things should be ok and if they free range together ok during the day i shouldnt worry too much. I know its easy to say but they should settle down soon. I found with all mine within a couple of weeks things dont seem so bad. All the best with it all let us know how it goes.

[Plum]

I'm not brave enough to try this sort of introduction. Always had them divided until they stop squaring up to eachother in their seperate runs. If it was me I would do it slowly but friends have gritted teeth and let them sort out the pecking order. Good luck

 

You could always use a pet carrier in divided run as a house until they are friends.

[Egluntyne]

You could divide the run with garden canes as demonstrated here for the shot term.

[Olly]

Night time is usually less of a problem, I would separate them during the day (unless they are free ranging, when you say they are ok) but put them together after dark. They are less likely to peck each other then, and will get used to each other's smell. Do bear in mind that what looks like horrible bullying to us is standard chicken behaviour - there has to be a 'top chicken', and she is just asserting her right to that position. If blood isn't being drawn, I wouldn't worry too much.

[Tipper]

Thanks everyone. Last night i went out with the intention of popping them in the Eglu with Jessy. This was easier said than done as their eyes flicked open as soon as i approached them and they squawked enough to wake the whole neighbourhood lol.

 

So i opened the Eglu door in the hope Jessy may let them in. They stayed perched on top of the nest box i had made them in the run. However this morning they were all milling around the run with the odd peck here and there but nothing dramatic.

 

They have been FR as a gang all day today with only the occasional peck, no squabbles. Am hoping that Jessy will let them in the Eglu tonight. One of the newbies has laid an egg today so she obviously wasn't bothered about the Frizzle going into the Eglu to do that.

 

Fingers crossed.

As usual thanks for all your advice....atm it all seems too good to be true!