Heidi-Hi Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 This is my first time introducing new chickens to a group of 9. They seem to take no notice of the little silkie, but my poor white Orpington isn't doing too well. One of the Wyandottes in particular has an intense dislike in her. I keep having to take her out for a bit, dry off the droplet of blood from her nose, give her a break and back she goes. Couple of hours would go past, and them wham, she gets it again. We are on day three today. I have put the others back in their run now, and might wait till dark, and then slip these two in bed with them. Do you think it is wise to do that? I am not going to sleep tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 How old are your newbies? To be honest if the old ones are drawing blood I wouldn't be pushing the intro's. I've always let mine decide when they want to go to bed together and even then it's been nervewracking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Hi, have you read the advice about introductions in the FAQs about chickens? I have found that following that advice, to introduce hens slowly and gradually, works very well and I have not had any real problems in the many introductions I have done so far. If blood is being drawn, you should keep the victim separate until any wound has healed, and I think it might be wise to keep the new girls separate from your other hens for the time being, until they have had a chance to get used to each other from a safe distance. It is also wise to do so from a quarantine point of view.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi-Hi Posted May 3, 2011 Author Share Posted May 3, 2011 They are both fairly young, but laying. I have read the FAQ post last night, and I've been doing what they said. They would go for a few hours just fine, and then all of a sudden the Wyandotte would go for her. She has got a tiny cut above her beak. It has stopped bleeding now. She has got a tiny bit of dried blood on her chest feathers. Can the other chickens smell dried blood? Clarets article on intros said something about popping them into bed around day three and just getting up really early to whip them out again. Should I not be attemping that tonight? Maybe another night in the guinea run might do them good... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joegg Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 I agree, it's early days - intros here have normally sorted themselves out over a couple of weeks not days. We let them free range together immediately watching closely but they usually give each other enough space or there is enough space for the picked on to get away. The problems arise as you reduce the space. I would house them separately until they naturally come together freeranging. They like to be in a flock as Im sure you know. We have two houses but at roosting time one is usually empty now. Hope this is at least a little bit helpful, good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 I found that the first intros are always the hardest, as you learn from your mistakes. 3 days is a bit quick in my opinion for 2 v 9, it took us 2 weeks to get 2 v 3 sleeping together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 As your old girls are being so aggressive, I think it would be better to take it more slowly and do as joegg suggests - house them separately and free range them until the new girls have been accepted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi-Hi Posted May 3, 2011 Author Share Posted May 3, 2011 Thank you for the advice. I will just take it slowly like you said. I've got a lot of space for them to free range, but they find each other every now and then. I find it hard not to interfere. I know they have to sort themselves out, but I don't like seeing blood being drawn In a way I'm glad it is not the silkie, as she is so tiny, I'm hoping the HUGE Orpington can take it a bit better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluckbok Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Hi ya, I agree with what the others have said, it's early days. We tried introducing 3 newbies onto our one girl, she accepted the two big girls but not the little silkie, she pecked her neck til draw blood so I seperated her into a cage, then got another hen house and two friends of her own sort. All is now peaceful here, except for the two girls that have gone broody! Keep a close eye on the little silkie cause they don't always hold their own very well. Good luck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffy chick Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 I agree intros are hard, no more for me You should look at my thread to see the trouble I have been through introducing 3 to 3. I've had more than one sleepless night over it I let mine live next to the old ones (so they can meet thru the bars) for 2 weeks before popping them in at night to wake up with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 I've still got unrest between my chickens after nearly a year. One Wels hates one of the green egg layers and the other Wels hates the other green egg layer The green egg layers were the latest additions. They just suddenly decide to have a pop even running down the garden to do it and the green egg layers also both terrorise my Vorwerk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurmurf Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 my best intros have been unintended ones. I've gone into it assuming that they'll never mix, made no attempt to get them to and by the time i've mistakenly let two flocks out to free range together they've spent so much time in next door runs that they take each other for granted. You say that you know they need to sort themselves out and you shouldn't interfere.... well I'd ask why? If you saw two kids knocking the bells out of each other in the playground then you would interfere. They bully when they feel the newbies are a risk to them, they'll only not feel under threat when time has proven the newbies not to be so. If they take the newbies for granted, then there's no threat and no bullying. take it verrrrrrrry sllllllloooooowwwwllllyyy, (then use a water pistol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouldercroft Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Josie is still taking the odd peck at whoever walks by - she's so mean for no apparent reason (ie no food around) but the odd squirt of the water pistol does work even if I did feel like a totally wally walking about the garden armed with a super soaker water pistol - hubby was going to get me a blue vest and a white helmet as he thought I resembled a UN peacekeeper Take it easy and let them free range before you try getting them to co-habitate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Read through the instructions in the FAQ section, if there's still trouble, then remove the main aggressor. Never had a problem myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silkiemum Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 We are also introducing newbies right now - however we only starting giving our oldies and newbies time together on day five and then it was only for half an hour. We have a WIR - we put new girls in the middle of it in the front half of an Eglu run (with a piece of board secured to the open end to block unwanted entry) so the others could cirulate. We also followed the advice in the helpful posts on the forum (Egluntyne's is very helpful indeed), feeding them treats close to the wire to get them used to feeding together. It is Day 9 today and we have built up to a whole day together - still not sleeping tog (new girls come inside in a box) but we will play it by ear tonight and see if they are welcomed into the Eglu or not. I would say the advice about taking it nice and slow is the best - do not be in a rush and if there are injuriries I would say let them get used to the sight and smell of each other first without direct contact. HOpe I have not tempted fate with this - I wil just slip outside to see how they are getting on....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 The slow intros are best, but I'd just add that - as long as blood isn't being drawn - don't worry too much about 'bullying' once they are all together. Chickens have no concept of 'fair' or 'unfair', and what looks horrible to us is normal for them. The fact that one or more of them may be looking nervous, hiding behind the Eglu, running away from the others etc doesn't mean they are miserable and wishing they weren't there - it just means they are learning their place in the pecking order, and they will be comfortable when they know where that is. My 'top' chicken still delivers a pecky reprimand every so often to remind the others of their role! Unless there's a real aggressor, as Claret mentions above, I think it's best to let them get on with it. They have to sort out the order sooner or later and too much intervention can delay this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi-Hi Posted May 4, 2011 Author Share Posted May 4, 2011 It is going so much better today. Not one fight that I know of. Fingers crossed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 I'm currently trying to introduce 3 ex batts to 8 older girls. I've had them separated by a net for over 2 weeks, and I've only let them out together under supervision this afternoon for the first time. I think it will be a few more weeks yet before I can lift the net and let them mingle permanently. The 3 girls I got recently from the free range farm at Silverstone are the meanest, which surprises me, as they merged with my original 5 very quickly and peacefully. They have taken an instant dislike to my 3 new raggedy girls though, and take every opportunity to have a snipe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi-Hi Posted May 4, 2011 Author Share Posted May 4, 2011 It is horrible to see how mean they can be. Today went fairly uneventful. Later this avo the Wyandotte got aggresive again, so I thought, enough!! So she went in the guinea run, and the rest got some lovely worms, and she couldn't get to it! So I told her: "See Cherry? That's what happens if you don't play nicely!" I let her out again later, and she was fine - Well, at least when I was looking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
