Smart Feeder - Light sensor values

[newcountrygirl]

As posted on an earlier thread I have recently got three new chicks to go with my three bantie girls. Up to now I have had them in separate runs next to each other. The older girls havent really took much notice of the young ones. My question is: when I let them all out together for the first time how can I make sure I get the young ones back. They are very timid at the moment. The older girls follow me round like a set of sheep and come when called and when I rattle the jar of sunflower seeds at them they practically throw themselves at me, but I 'm worried that if I let the young ones out I won't be able to catch them or get them back into the run.

Would I be better to just wait until late one night then let them all go into the same house for the night and hope they are all ok in the morning?

[Mr Rhode Island Red]

If you are introducing new hens to your original flock, it is best, in my opinion, to introduce them at night, because the older hens will be tired, sleepy, (dopey? ) and won't make as much of an effort to fight with them. To help further, it will be dark, and they probably won't be able to see each other as well as during the day.

 

When you do put them in you can put them on the roost with the others, and check on them after 5-15 minutes. If they don't fight with each other straight away, they probably aren't going to. You can check on them later on in the night as well, if you want.

 

Be punctual the following morning when letting them out. Inside the house, if there is a bit of a ruckus there isn't much room to evade attacks, but outside, there is. In the morning, let them out together if nothing major happened overnight, and observe, keep your eyes wide open and look around .

 

On the other hand if things didn't go well the night before (God forbid), and you want to separate them again, catch the "newbies" while they are inside the house. You will have a better chance to catch them there than going on a wild goose chase around your run.

 

Hens will do a bit of picking at one another. It is completely natural for them to have to re-establish the pecking order when there are "newbies" around. There is only to be cause for concern when blood is drawn from a hen from being pecked at or when a hen is not being allowed to eat or drink because of "bullies". Hopefully, you won't have to deal with that though.

 

Best of luck.

[Mr Rhode Island Red]

Wait! Adding to my last post. Be wary of the age difference. The hens you want to introduce to your main flock should be around laying age (30 weeks) before introducing them to the older girls, just so that they are able to stand up for themselves and wont be complete cowards altogether.

[newcountrygirl]

Thanks for the good advice. I didn't realise i had to wait until they were that old. When I got my first three it was so easy. I bought two together but one managed to escape from the Eglu rung the first day. We couldnt find her an assumed a fox would get her. We went out the next day an got the third one. Kept her in the dog crate until later that evening them put them to bed together. Next morning - best friends. Then lo and behold a month later the one who had escaped turned up in the garden as right as ninepence. Did the same with her and the three of them have been inseparable ever since.