clucker1 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I presently have 7 established chickens....a friend wants me to have now single older skyline. I thought I might as well take the bull by the horns and intro 2 new point of lays at the same time. Would the best way be to keep the skyline by herself and the 2 new pols by themselves, first do intros with these 3 when the pols have got bigger and then intro the 3 to the 7. Or am I just mad and biting off more than I can chew? I could just get the skyline, but I am not sure how it would work doing intros with just 1 chicken....I think my present troop would have a right laugh/fight at the newbie. So far, all my intros have gone brilliantly, I take things very slowly ie 6-8 weeks before everyone is merged together. So going on this basis I would need2 extra lots of accommodation, one for the skyline and one for the 2 pols. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Never done this, but I think I would intro the Skyline to the two newbies then introduce the trio to your existing hens. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I think I would have the 2 POL with the new girl together and as you say slowly intergrated the whole flock. Otherwise you are going to have three separate groups with all the hassle that comes with trying to merge them three ways. I would say the POL's would be accepting of the skyline and mixing three in to an established group will be far easier than trying to get a single hen accepted, she will be bullied mercilessly. Hope it goes well whatever you decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimnpaula Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 My Skyline is top of our flock and I hear from the place I got her from that it is quite common for them to be quite near the top of the pecking order. Of course, this may not apply to your Skyline - but having said that, if she is laying then she will be higher ranking than the POLs. So if you were to put them together the POLs would be likely to accept the Skyline as their top chook for the trio, everyone knows their place and it should be reasonably harmonious. I'm of the 'take it slowly' way of doing intros too, and being prepared to go back a stage if things get nasty. Hope it all goes well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted July 23, 2015 Author Share Posted July 23, 2015 Thank you everyone, my present skyline (also my favourite chicken as she is so very pretty) is near the too of the pecking order. The breeder where I am buying the 2 newbies from thinks the size of the skyline means she may well attack the points of lay....so I think I will let the 2 points of lay grow a bit and get a bit more worldly wise, then intro them with the skyline and then intro the other 7 eventually. Or I might throw the 3 newbies in together and be ready to wade in! Aaagh, what am I taking on?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 If they're POL they shouldn't be too small so I would be inclined to keep the 2 new POL and Skyline together for a couple of days and then free range them all together and see how they get on. Introductions are usually easier in bigger flocks so I'd think after a couple days they'd settle their differences and get along just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted July 24, 2015 Author Share Posted July 24, 2015 Thank you, I've just met my new chicken, she is considerably larger than my present skyline....just hope they all fitinto my rabbit hutch or I might have to use the section under ether cube as an add on, though I don't know how I can make a darker nesting section of this area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
