Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[auntielizzie]

Things are not going too bad - certainly not anywhere near as bad as I thought they might be Yesterday I let the three new girls out of the eglu run for a bit of FR with Betty and Bessie. Betty was fine until any of the new girls got too close, in which case she chased them off with a little bit of shouting. Bessie was a little bit more predatory however and was actively seeking them out in order to chase them and give them a bit of a pecking and telling off. The new girls seem to be quite accepting of the situation and haven't challenged either of them in any way, so nothing too dramatic has happened so far.

 

This morning they have all been out together again for about three hours. Everyone has visited each others house and tried each others food and water and nest box. Again, Betty (who I have now become very fond of because of how sweet she is being with the new girls on the whole) is really being very very good about the situation. Bessie is a little bit more accepting today, although still wants to stamp her authority. Its quite strange really because I always thought Betty was the top hen when it was just the two of them, but the arrival of the three new girls seems to have made Bessie come out of herself more.

 

Fingers crossed things will continue like this until I am able to fully integrate them in a few weeks

[jackian]

So glad everything is going fine..Mine took about 4 weeks and are now the best of friends.Patience is surely the key to it all.

I love watching them sort themselves ,it's amazing what you can learn