2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[squidsin]

Can anyone help? I brought my two pekins in their Eglu Classic to my new house in the country, where I inherited three hybrid hens and a large walk-in run. I put the pekins in their Classic in the run, in the hope they'd get to know each other and when I let them out, they'd become one flock. Six weeks on, it hasn't happened. When I let them out, my pekins generally refuse to leave the Eglu, and one of the others attacks them when she gets the chance. She is bottom of the pecking order so clearly taking advantage of having little 'uns to bully! I've just bought a large new henhouse (not an Eglu, ahem) to move the hens into - off the ground, made of hard plastic and with a rat-proof (or as rat proof as can be, I know nothing is 100%) run. I want to put them all in together so I can use the Eglu for hatching next year - my pekins are broody half the time anyway, may as well take advantage. But how do I get them to be friends?! I've heard that you should just put them in together at night but I don't actually think my hens are THAT stupid, and I don't want my lovely pekins getting pecked to death.

[daxigirl]

My guess is it's still early days. The bigs girls have interlopers on their land as it were. They've probably never set eyes on other chickens let alone Pekin bantams so may never like them. Regretably the bottom big girl is trying to put herself above the littlies in the new order and will probably always give them a swift peck to keep them in order (she would be doing the same to whatever you introduced so you can't change that). My advice would be don't try to rush it leave the littlies in their eglu safe, the bigguns still have to get used to them. Be prepared it may never happen.

 

My bigguns and littluns don't mix. The only time was when Brillo (RIP mini silkie) decided in her broodiness to adopt this years 8 week old LF growers (hilarious they were already twice her size).

[sjp]

it take's time for 2 groups to become one I've had it take a couple of months but I've also had it take a couple of days that was the one of the 2 I did about a month ago the other one is going to take time.

if the bulling is getting out of hand and you have a spare coop and run you could try putting the bully in there on her own for a few days as a time out in theory when you put her back in to the group the pecking order has changed and she's lost her place in it but personally the couple of times I tried it nothing changed so I put extra perches and platforms in so that there were extra escape routes most of the time that group now get on with each other

[squidsin]

She's not too bad with the bullying - she goes nuts if the pekins go into the big girls' chicken shed but really it's more of a 'know your place' peck than a vicious unprovoked attack. I can carry on keeping them separate for now, there's no real rush, and tbh I expect the pekins will outlive the others anyway (being pure breds, all the girls are about 3-4 years old) so they can be top of the pecking order for the next lot! Although I'm considering getting ex-batts next time so don't know how that will work out!

[sjp]

She's not too bad with the bullying - she goes nuts if the pekins go into the big girls' chicken shed but really it's more of a 'know your place' peck than a vicious unprovoked attack. I can carry on keeping them separate for now, there's no real rush, and tbh I expect the pekins will outlive the others anyway (being pure breds, all the girls are about 3-4 years old) so they can be top of the pecking order for the next lot! Although I'm considering getting ex-batts next time so don't know how that will work out!

 

that's not so bad then it's the type of thing that will get better the longer they live togeather as on group instead of 2 but can still happen if the older girl feels that the new ones have got to big for their boots normally when treats are involved

[coco]

I've had intros that have taken three months and that was between LF hens, stick at it you will get there.

[hopingforchickens]

Sounds just like me a few months ago, I had 3 hybrids and inherited 2 bantams, I put the bantams in a run within the WIR and tried to let them FR together. It was a disaster as the bottom big girl was ruthless to the silkie in particular. I got to the point where I thought they'd never be together, then one day (after a couple of months) the big girls broke in to the little run... and everyone was fine (although the silkie was broody at the time which I think helped!). Now they are all one fairly happy family.

 

Good luck, it may take time xxx

[Valkyrie]

Our flocks were forced together - we adopted some of Egg Lou's babes but it was just before the snows. The big chief orpie tried to have a go at the big chief pekin through the fencing, and then the snow arrived. I felt a bit worried that the pekins and silkie would be cold in the Eglu so at night they were popped into the cube. There was initial shoving around but they were all sleepy so when we let them out they were separated again and in together at night. Before long we had the worst snow ever and as luck would have it they all seemed to accept each other. There was a pecking order - the 2 fat orpies were still in charge and the silkie knew her place and kept her distance. The look on the maran's face when she first saw the silkie was priceless - almost shock while thinking "what the HECK is THAT?" But then she was the next at the bottom. Even now the silkie has long gone and the Maran is at the bottom - she tries to be invisible around the pekins. Only big chief orpie left and the big chief pekin has stepped into second place. Such a crazy mixed bunch but they all get along fine. It did help that free ranging gave them their distance if needed.