mullethunter Posted August 4, 2018 Share Posted August 4, 2018 My oldest chicks are now 12 weeks old. The Wyandotte cockerel went off to his new home today (sad to see him go but he was getting too noisy to live in our garden surrounded by neighbours) so I have two pekin boys and my campine pullet, Cammie, left. They’re currently in an Eglu Go while the big girls live in a Cube. When they free range they’re all out together and have been for almost a month now. The youngsters run away from the big girls if they look askance at them, otherwise they all get on pretty well. The pekin boys will be staying here until they’re too noisy - they're off to join a flock of ex commercial girls so the older they are the better - but before too long they’ll be off which will just leave Cammie. I’d rather fully integrate her alongside the pekin boys rather than have to try to do her on her own - I know accepted wisdom is 16-18 weeks, but does anyone think it’s worth trying earlier? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 TBH, if they are all now happy with free ranging together, then I'd give it a try on a day when you're around to referee. Just make sure that they have enough space so that they aren't getting in each other's nerves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 6, 2018 Author Share Posted August 6, 2018 Thanks DM - I think I will try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 Spray them all with a mixture of vinegar and water too - that makes them all smell the same - old Italian trick for integrating new chooks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 7, 2018 Author Share Posted August 7, 2018 Well, the smaller of the pekin cockerels put himself to bed with the big girls tonight with no fuss at all. The more dominant, bigger pekin cockerel went to roost with the campine hen on a perch in the big girls run. I didn’t really want the little cockerels to get up with the dawn and start shouting at whatever time that is at the moment, so I’ve now put them all in the Cube and shut the door. There was a little bit of moaning from top chook Penny but otherwise all went quiet very quickly. The plan is to let them all out at 7ish, so hopefully there’ll be no bloodshed before then 🤞🏻 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 8, 2018 Share Posted August 8, 2018 How did it go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 8, 2018 Author Share Posted August 8, 2018 All seems to have gone remarkably smoothly! I checked them before I went to bed and all was calm. There was shouting inside the Cube at 06:40 this morning but that’s only 5 minutes before we would get up anyway, so OH got up and let them out, and that was that! No bloodshed at all so far. They were then in the run together all morning and again, nothing dramatic. In fact the big girls were hiding from the hooligans in the Cube when I nipped home for lunch and to check on them! Tonight has been a carbon copy of last night. Small pekin cockerel went into the Cube with the big girls of his own volition with no fuss at all, and big pekin and Cammie went up on he high perch in the run so I put them into the Cube and have shut the door. I’m not counting any chickens, but so far, so good. They now all have access to both growers and layers pellets so hopefully it won’t do the youngsters any harm. Thankyou for asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 18, 2018 Author Share Posted August 18, 2018 We are complete. The two pekin boys have gone off to their new home today (in with a flock of 14 feisty ex batts so they’ve got their work cut out) - they seemed instantly at home and ran away from the big girls when pecked but otherwise surprisingly unfazed by it all (half way there they did have to sit on the balcony of my yoga studio for an hour where the owner said he did reiki on them so maybe that’s why 😂). I expect bedtime will be a bit stressful for them, but their lovely new owner is going to put her spare coop in the run in case they don’t want to go straight in with the big girls. So Cammie the campine is now just a member of the big girl flock. She wasn’t too happy about the boys going when they were all shut in the run whilst I went to yoga, then when I got home and let them out she was running around looking for them which was a bit sad, but now, an hour later she seems fine. As I said - project complete. On to second lot! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeramaSilly Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 Oh that's really good news Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
