Unsecure chicken perches

[superkitty]

Ok, so MoreHens has struck and I'm picking up a new girl (another Orpington) tomorrow. I know adding one to two isnt ideal, but at the moment I don't really have space for more than three (till we move house and I can go hen crayzee! ).

 

So, having spent a while reading through all of the posts I can find on intros, I have fenced off a separate run for the new hen within the WIR. It's made of the old eglu run panels, so pretty sturdy. It has a separate grub, glug, grit pot, dust bath and 'coop' made of a big cat carrier wrapped in insulated stuff. It's about 3m by 2m so hopefully plenty of room for the new girl, and still plenty of room in the rest of the omlet WIR (aka the PleasureDome, which has -ahem - expanded again recently) for Constance and Augusta.

 

I was planning to let them be alongside each other and sleep separately for a week or two and see how it goes. The girls are due to be wormed so i can do them all at the same time and make sure the new girl doesnt have any crawlies, then try some supervised free ranging after a week or two. Then over time, try letting them all be in the WIR together and (hopefully) all sleeping together.

 

I have anti-peck spray (the purple stuff) at the ready in case of any blood being drawn through the fence, as well as all the other usual chicken stuff (lifeguard, antibiotic powder, nutridrops etc).

 

Does that sound about right, or have I forgotten something crucial? Am nervous

Edited July 1, 2012 by Guest

[jackian]

That to me sounds very right ,I introduced 2 new girls about 4 months ago and I did exactly that . If they were FR I would let the new one out first and seperate and slowly mix the two.

I think the key is patience.It took me 3 weeks for there to be harmony and for the screaming to stop as Poppy old girl bottom of the pecking order did not want to be bottom any more..she wanted to be promoted. Once she realised there was no threat peace reigned.

[superkitty]

Thanks , I hadn't thought of letting the new girl out first to FR but that makes perfect sense!

[Olly]

It sounds fine to me - the temptation is always to speed up if things seem to be going well but it's best to take it slowly. Feeding scattered treats along the boundary of the enclosed run will help them get used to eating together. Even if they have behaved perfectly, when you first put them together there will still be some screaming and pecking - its natural.

I just query why you only have room for three hens - the area you've described as the intro run is the size of my entire WIR if I've understood you correctly!

[superkitty]

I just query why you only have room for three hens - the area you've described as the intro run is the size of my entire WIR if I've understood you correctly!

 

slip of the fingers.. its 3 x 1, not x 2! (that would be palatial!). Not worried about the WIR space because it's pretty big now and everyone gets to FR every day as well.. more the sleeping space as I have an eglu. I did speak to omlet to ask if it was big enough to sleep 3 LF orps and they said yes, but I'm a bit dubious...am going to see how it goes and if necessary, buy an extra wooden coop. I know they can physically fit in there, and at the moment ventilation is fine because the door never gets shut...but in winter, I'm not sure that the ventilation will be good enough.

 

Still, it will hopefully be a moot point because if things go according to plan I'll have a Cube by the winter

[superkitty]

Meet Hermione

 

Hermione, new baby by Faith Al-Egaily, on Flickr

 

Hermione exploring by Faith Al-Egaily, on Flickr

 

She is so TINY! Very laid back though, I got back with her at lunchtime and she has already had a good explore, found the food and had a bit of scrat about in the woodchip, and is now sitting preening. Constance and Augusta have come up to the fence a couple of times, made a few soft, mildly enquiring noises and then carried on as normal. I keep waiting for all the yelling to start, but Maybe she is so small that neither of them see her as a threat to the pecking order? I don't get it..... but won't be letting my guard down just yet

 

Welcome to the family Hermione

[Gertie]

She looks lovely, hope your other girls are friendly to her. Did you say she was an Orp?

 

I've been letting my new 3 free range with my existing 2 and so far they have been fine. They only get to FR at weekends and this is week 3. My hen Rosie will definitely boot them out of the dust bath and is dominant over food and treats. She gives them the occasional peck but otherwise they seem ok. Hopefully yours will be accommodating and give them a warm welcome

[Cheeky Chooky]

Congratulations Faith and welcome Hermione

[AndreaT]

She looks lovely! I'm sooo of your orps, they are all gorgeous! I will have some one day,

 

and silkies and brown eggs layers and more araucanas and leg horns

[superkitty]

Thanks everyone Still mostly calm on the western front today, although the big girls have progressed to doing the odd 'chest rush' at the fence if they she's too near. No noise yet though - hooray! It's funny to see them standing on opposite sides of the fence, the size difference She's about the size of...half a loaf of bread, maybe? And they are the size of the baker She yelled the house down when I picked her up to put her to bed last night (she was roosting on top of the coop) - thought someone was going to call the RSPCA had forgotten how flighty they are before they come into lay.

 

I had to physically restrain myself on sunday from buying a whole flock of bantams and just figuring out where to put them when I got home They are so DARLING, such beautiful colours as well. If anyone is looking for poultry Cambridge way, power poultry are near Wisbech and they have so many kinds of beautiful chickens! A dangerous place

 

I need to move house and get a cube. Or two.

[shemybelle]

Congratulations on the new arrival!

 

Lx