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

[gavclojak]

Hello everyone, as you may/maynot know I came home from a rehoming a few weeks ago with three ex-commercial girls. they really are the sweetest little things ever! they are so friendly and I adore them.

I have kept them separate for a few weeks and this week have started the intro's. Needless to say its not very nice, I started giving them short period's together supervised, no more than 5 minutes and have increased it daily so they have about half an hour now but only when I am around.

The lowest ranking girl doesn't really give them a break, they spend all the time on the roosting logs we have and as soon as they jump down she goes for them, she pecks the head/back/wherever she can get hold of. Once she has had a go she will walk off or they escape so they are not sustained on-going attacks so I guess it could be worse.

My question is, do I leave them to get on with it for a bit longer, separate and give it a few days and try again or carry on as I am and hope it gets better? I did expect this but feel sad for my new girls. I have tried when they are free ranging but the new ladies wont come in to the garden bless them. I have added a picture so you can see the set up, they have a load of food/water stations and the aggression isn't when they are feeding and they have lots of escape routes too. If you guys would do anything differently please let me know.

I could have left it longer before the intro's but to be honest I know what flora and fauna are like and I don't think it would have made an ounce of difference!!

Edited August 15, 2015 by Guest

[Grandmashazzie]

It's horrible to watch esp when the newbies have had such a bad start isn't it. I prob would leave them to it.You have a great set up and lots of hides holes. My lot picked on my little black Silkie when I was integrating her and her sis. They plucked feathers and chased away from food,5 spots and she slunk under the coop to hide. It was heart breaking but I couldn't just keep 2 flocks so left them to it.She is bottom hen and just manages to skirt around avoiding everyone.

[mullethunter]

I think you just have to carry on as you are Gavclojak. It is heartbreaking to watch any of them being bullied but eventually they'll sort things out well enough to live as one flock. Keep at it - you're doing everything right

[Beantree]

I agree you will just have to carry on as you are doing Gavclojak. They have loads of room and feed and water stations and there is nothing else you could do I can think of. I think swapping them over so the oldies are in a different space as well may cause more problems than it solves?

[gavclojak]

Thank you all very much. I kind of thought that would be the reply but its nice to get the reassurance.

Why is it when someone askes a question on here we all seem to know what we would do but as soon as we hit a problem we question what we are doing

 

The problem just seemed a little worse yesterday and I suspect it has something to do with my matriarch and top girl Barbara who I suspect is not long for this world

 

She is just getting old (3 1/2 year old ex-batt), she is eating/drinking/pooing/fullcrop/free-ranging/red comb etc yet I have a horrible feeling about her, lets hope I am wrong

[gavclojak]

Well I'm two weeks in to the introduction and it's not too bad at all, I spent the first week by giving them 5 minutes together and increased it by ten minutes or so a day. I leave them separate at the start and end of the day so they all get a chance to eat and fill their boots.

 

For the last two days I have been leaving them together for the majority of the day and the old girls are leaving them alone most of the time. They give them a chase and peck every now and then but the new ladies are now allowed off the perches without getting savaged so that's progress and the pecking isn't quite so aggressive.

 

I am not confident enough to leave them together when I am not within earshot or able to look out at the window to make sure they are still alive!!

 

Would any of you try popping them in together at night yet or am I pushing my luck, I don't want to take two steps forward and three steps back

[eve]

I had same problem but in the end left them to it.they had the run of the whole garden. Then at night i would wait till my 3 old hens went in coop then put three newbies in. Let them out first light as we all work shifts and in bout a week all pecking order sorted. They all happy and get on fine now. In wir let out evry now again as tryig to

sort garden out xx

[mullethunter]

Have the newbies shown any sign of wanting to go in with the others?

[gavclojak]

Have the newbies shown any sign of wanting to go in with the others?

Not in the slightest, in fact they love it when the oldies go to bed...it's like...."party time"

The added problem I may have is that they all seem to lay before I let them out in the morning (around 7 am,) so that will be five of them fighting for the nest box and I don't hold out much hope for the newbies winning that one!!

 

The new girls are being tolerated most of the time with the odd chase away but nothing too sustained, only occasionally. Can anyone advise me when to pop them in the Cube altogether? Shall I wait until they are 100% happy together during the day? Or bite the bullet?

[gavclojak]

I have progress

I was brave enough to leave them together today unsupervised for a few hours and when I can back it had been raining heavily and the new girls were in the inner sanctum (under the cube) with the big girls. They are still getting chased every now and then and faith, my sweetest new girl is still petrified every time the big girls come near but i do think we are getting somewhere.

 

For fear of repeating myself, As per my question above, does anyone have and recommendation as to when to start putting them in the cube together at night or do I wait until they choose to go in at bedtime?

Edited August 26, 2015 by Guest

[mullethunter]

I reckon, given what you've said about them sheltering together, I'd shove them in together after dark now for a few nights and see if they get the hang of it.

[nannyhenny]

I've just been through the exact same process. I put each new girl into the Cube from their run after dark for three nights. There was a bit of a flurry as they joined the other two, even in the dark, but then all was ok til morning when I got up at dawn to let them out. Two nights ago I shut them all in the run at dusk. The two 'old girls' sleep in the coop and the little girls under it! I'm not worried, though, as they're safe and will use the coop when they're ready, I'm sure. They're all laying in the coop at least!

[gavclojak]

following some advice from DM I popped them in together three nights ago, I let them out around 7am and so far so good. they all went in together on their own last night. I was expecting the old girls to guard the front of the cube but they have been fine.

I still have some chasing away during the day but that seems a tad better and more pronounced when I am around (I guess they are expecting treats.

 

They still have access to the bedsit so they can lay in peace but I am going to lock the door over the next few days when they are 100% comfortable using the cube

[Lewis]

Glad to hear they're together and getting on - hope it continues

[gavclojak]

Thanks Lewis. This intro was totally different from my last one!

Just when you think you have this chicken keeping thing all sussed out they throw a spanner in the works and make you feel like a novice again! Little rascals

[gavclojak]

Just a little update....my girls are thriving altogether, after much angst they are acting like one flock. Flora is still a bossy little so and so and old girl Barbara is still top hen. I absolutely adore all my girls but new girl faith is the cutest little hen ever....she is so cuddly and chatty!! but good old Barbara....she is the oldest lady and hobbles around on her arthritic leg and is also on loxicom daily to help her along but all that said she still keeps the others in line.

Here they are enjoying the Sunday sun...faith at the front and Barbara at the back. Happy days!!!

 

[eve]

Lovely girls and grass

[mullethunter]

I'm glad it's all worked out. The new girls are looking like 'proper' chickens now