Omlet cube and run

[Henergy]

Am I going too quickly ?

The new hens arrived yesterday & spent the day in the wooden coop with the older ones roaming around outside. This morning I let them both roam together & instantly they started fighting. So I put the old ones in their cube run & allowed the new girls a bit of leg stretching in the free range area. Then just now I let them mix again & bang - instant fight. No blood shed but a couple of flying feathers. To a novice chicken keeper though it looks brutal & I am now full of guilt towards the new hens for bringing them out of their happy farm life to this trauma & guilty towards my original girls who were very happy & had only just got used to the cube. I almost feel like taking them back as the fighting is frightening for me & the children. I can't see how such a huge apparent dislike will ever become a happy flock

[Egluntyne]

Some advice here on managing intros.

[fluffy chick]

Am I going too quickly ?

(

 

in a word, yes. Sorry. I would let them 'see' each other through the run bars for at least a fortnight.

[Tweety]

Yes, I would take it more slowly. In my experience it takes at least 3 weeks before things settle down, so I would follow the advice that Egluntyne has pointed out and you will find that peace will eventually break out.

[LunaKiw1]

I can empathise with the feelings of guilt and helplessness! We've just got 3 new ones but two came from a different barn so it was effectively a newbie situation. We found putting in extra food stations helped plus use of a water 'naughty spray' but I think everyone's advice to take it very slowly is best.

[mollyripkim]

Don't worry in a couple of weeks you will feel totally different. I got two new girls last weekend, kept separate but near to each other and had a bit of posturing through the wire then despite the fact that the new silkie came from the same home as as the bantam Orpington, the orpington started really attacking the silkie. I was ready to take the Orpington back so rang the breeder who suggested trying the new silkie in with my existing silkie girls after letting them sleep together. Well I was really surprised as although they chased her a little bit, there was no pecking, they had corn on the cob etc to take their minds off it. Anyway yesterday they all free ranged together and last night at around 9 pm they all went to bed together of their own accord. I didnt have the heart to take the orpington out but got early to do it before they woke up. Had a lovely moment today when they were all happily sunbathing together today so thinkit will work out and just takes time and to think I thought about taking her back. On Thursday I was In tears as I thought I had upset the happy balance of my girls too.

[Groovychook]

Taking it very slowly worked for me when introducing my new chooks.

 

I divided the WIR and gave the 2 sets of chooks a separate, parallel outside space so that they could gradually get used to each other. I did this for 3-4 weeks before letting them loose together. When I finally did, I scattered corn for them so that they were more interested in their treat than each other!

 

Good luck!

[Henergy]

Thank you all for the replies - I think patience is the key word !! I did think it would be too fast to put them together, but DH persuaded me it would be ok - mental note 'don't listen to the husband' !!!

 

I just hope the bad start won't mean they never gel together.

[fluffy chick]

Don't worry I think they'll be fine.

 

I took a breeder's advice at the start of the year and 'just bunged em in' and it was awful. But after taking several steps back and taking it slowly they are now best of friends.

[Henergy]

I took a breeder's advice at the start of the year and 'just bunged em in' and it was awful. But after taking several steps back and taking it slowly they are now best of friends.

 

My breeder told me to let then watch each other for the afternoon & then put them to bed all together !!!! That would have been quite a battle I think ! Maybe us 'urban' owners are a bit more timid ...

[chickencam]

They need time to get used to each others presence but then they need to learn to live together. We kept our old 2 in the Eglu and 5 youngsters in a WIR and homemade house for 2 years, they freeranged together from time to time with a few skirmishes. We then put both groups together about 3 weeks ago and we still had some fighting as they got used to being in close proximity all the time. my large Light Sussex has now made herself top chook and all is largely calm.

 

We have just bought 4 POL and they are living in the Eglu in harmony because they came from the same flock and they all seem quite laid back, there have only been a couple of minor scuffles and they seem to have established their order very quickly. I just hope that i am not speaking too soon.

[Groovychook]

I just hope the bad start won't mean they never gel together.

I'm sure they'll be fine...

When I got my original girls, there was an almighty squabble to determine who would be top of the pecking order!

They sorted it out and settled down after a while.

[fluffy chick]

I took a breeder's advice at the start of the year and 'just bunged em in' and it was awful. But after taking several steps back and taking it slowly they are now best of friends.

 

My breeder told me to let then watch each other for the afternoon & then put them to bed all together !!!! That would have been quite a battle I think ! Maybe us 'urban' owners are a bit more timid ...

 

 

The thing is (I'm not saying my breeder doesn't care far from it) chickens are more like 'farm animals' rather than 'pets' to some breeders. Although i live in a rural village and get laughed at for my views I am proud to call my chickens 'pets'.

[Henergy]

Thats probably true.

 

I have a routine now which will hopefully work. In the am, the original hens are let out of the cube run & have the morning free ranging around the newbies in the coop. I then pop them back in the cube run & let the newbies wander around looking in to the cube run !!!! Then I swap again by teatime. I will keep this up till the weekend & then have another go - or do you think that would be too soon too ?

[Henergy]

I've been patient - so spent the whole week letting them see each other and today I was brave. We let them out together & they seemed to get on well. It was heart warming to see them together - there were a couple of little pecks but I stood on watch with my broom (that they are all afraid of !!!!!) and all is well. However, I stuck to my patient guns & split them again & will do another small merge for the next few days.

 

So thank you so much for all your advice - there is indeed no rushing these things is there (lesson learned) but they are now on their way to being friends

[Groovychook]

That's great news!

I'm really pleased for you!