What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[JanTheDiver]

OK, I have had three new girls for about 10 days, they have been sleeping and FR with the three old girls from day one. Yes we are still having a bit of squabbling at night time but that is definitely getting better; especially as one of the old girls (the main terrorist in the group) was snuggled up to a new girl last night in the cube.

 

The problem I have is I can't get the new and old to be in the cube run at the same time, if the new ones go in there one of the old girls chases them out; I will say this is mainly Carrot (third chick in P order) that does the chasing as Tikka (top chick in P order) and Hester (second chick in P order) are not too bothered by them any more. Also the new ones will not come into the run in the morning whilst the old girls are still locked in, they stay in the cube.

 

We were going to lock them all in the run tonight with the inner cube door shut and let them sort out the pecking order once and for all but I am a bit nervous at doing this, as is my OH.

 

Can anyone suggest anything else?

 

Thanks

Jan

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Do you have any high up perches or places that the picked-on girls can escape to? That might help.

 

You could experiment with locking them all in together and stand by with a water pistol .

[JanTheDiver]

Thanks Ain't "Ooops, word censored!"ody Here

 

That went quite well, there was a bit of putting in their place of the new girls by the old girls but not much. When it got a bit vicious, Carrot (the main offender of the old girls) got squirted and she backed off. This only happened two-three times.

 

They are used to being squirted with water when they do something they shouldn't anyway and they never like it.

 

The old girls then started to go to bed. Will do the same tomorrow so they all get used to it.

 

Thanks

 

Jan

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That sounds quite positive . Fingers crossed it continues .