Installing Indoor Cat Tree

[alaedw]

Help!!

We intoduced our new hen yesterday to mabel , and today mabel is really having a go at poor flo she is really pecking her and almost jumping on her too....

Is this normal? do i just leave them to sort it out?

any advice would be grand!!

[Tina C]

The usual advice is leave them to sort it out - the more you try and intervene the longer it takes. Unless there is blood, at which point you panic...

 

No sorry I mean separate them.

[The Dogmother]

She will peck and try to mount her - it can be quite distressing to watch, but try not to intervene unless blood is drawn or it appears to be getting out of hand. A water spray in the face can help the agressor if it gets carried away. It's best to take intros slowly using seperate accommodation until they are used to each other.

[Gallina]

If you only have an Eglu and run, let them get on with it: it will be nasty, brutish, and short, and it is best not to watch too much.

 

I would say it's best to get it over with. It may only take one day, depending on the personality of the chickens. And they will be fine at night (although you may want to get up a bit early the first morning.

[Twiglet]

I had "Handbags at dawn" with one - Lily

It only lasted a day until she showed She was boss!

[parmaviolet]

June and audrey took 3 weeks to accept the two newbies. It was quite distressing to see Audrey, who was quite sweet natured, turn into a complete cow I think it was worse, because J & A had never had any pecking order issues and had been best buddies from the day they were delivered.

 

There was lots of pecking and blood drawn, but they did finallly settle into two 'flocks' of two. Sadly, Audrey died just after christmas, so June (knowing which side her bread was buttered) joined Mini & Emmys 'flock'.

 

They all get on pretty well now. Best advice I can give is ...give it time. One bit of advice given to me was try to make the smell the same. I was told to spray them with a diluted vinegar solution. I was not to keen on that, so used the excuse to dust them all with anti-red mite powder. To be honest, I'm not convinced that it worked, but you might like to try it....at least you'll feel pro-active.

[chickenlass]

I had "Handbags at dawn" with one - Lily!

 

ROFL at the thought of chickens giving each other a good Margaret Thatchering

[alaedw]

oooo Chickenlass what a gorgeus Horse and is that a schaunzer dog I see? We have a Miniature Schaunzer called Jasper... Who likes to chase and would probably eat them if he had the chance!!

[Hen Watch]

Not sure if this link will work. But I put my recent chicken introducing experience down in Olly's post

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10681