ubereglu Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Hiya, Well I'm currently intergrating Molly and Spice in with my two bluebelles. So far they have been placed in the eglu at night after the big girls have gone to roost for the past three nights and there has been no problems. However what should I do now? Ultimately I want them all to roost and go to bed in the eglu together without me having to put them there, so do you have any tips? Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 I would just let them out together in the morning and look away for ten minutes. Then check theres no real damage done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UkButton Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 As above... I recently introduced two sets together, I just did it while they were free ranging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Ditto, Having a free range together seemed to work for each of my 3 introductions They will peck at the new ones but if they have a bit of space to run away then it makes it a little easier on the new ones karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westie Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Too late, but I read in one book that spraying the birds with a weak mix of water and cider vinegar on the first few nights helps give them a common scent, even though chucks have little sense of smell. Has anyone tried this? Westie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlaidegg Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 I think the advice is divided between chucking them all in and looking away and keeping the newbies separate from the oldies until night time roosting. My oldies were a nightmare with the newbies today but then all went in to roost quietly at dusk. I ended up letting the oldies free-range and kept newbies in run on their own for most of the day. This followed my blue-belle, Queenie, frightening the life out of Blodwen. Hopefully tomorrow will be slightly less fraught... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 I would just let them out together in the morning and look away for ten minutes. Then check theres no real damage done thats what I would do - but be ready for some aggro over a few days as it all settles down. Its a bit hard to start with, and you should put up with it - but step in if one is getting damaged and hurt. Often its fairly token stuff - one lunges and the other squarks, but no, or very little, actual contact takes place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bantam of the Opera Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 gah, i hate intorduing new hens, i have to get my sister to do it for me, i jsut get so distressed from even the smallest squablles. pathetic i know. but yeah i just have been letting mine all free range together and that sorts it out. although this wont work with big girls and bantams will it? they should just be kept seperate shouldnt they? just checking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted November 19, 2007 Author Share Posted November 19, 2007 Well they have all gone in the eglu again. Tonight I managed to capture the littler ones and put them in the eglu whilst it was still a little bit light. So tomorrow I think I will just let them out of the eglu and leave them all in the run together until I feed them. Then when I do feed them I'll find the spare peanut and put the littler ones food in that, (They're both on layers' pellets now, so if they eat each others food it won't matter!). Then I'll open up the run door and the little ones can then wander around the big run and the big ones will escape into the garden as usual. Does this sound a good idea? Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenlass Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 I am wanting more ex batts now I have more room but I keep putting off asking for some as I dread the introductions having never done it before Like Richard I will be very upset and mortified at any squabbling as my three are getting along so well I really would hate to cause any agro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 I had great plans of keeping my new 4 seperate from my old 4, for about a week, & we put a fence up to partition off the hen pen. They have been like this for a day & a half, then this afternoon I went to visit them to find the fence down & them all in together. There was a bit of beakage, but nothing too bad,although poor Clover hid in the blue eglu for a lot of the time. I went to tuck them in just now & 7 were crammed into one Eglu ,with little Clover chirruping away outside So, I have stuck her in the other Eglu aolng with a couple of others who I got out of the green Eglu, to keep her company Liz, your plan sounds good. I had a plan too, but the hens had other ideas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 If you're worried about introduction, then look at the sticky on the subject, which answers most questions the main points are to have seperate accommodation (especially with ex-batteries) to start off with, and to take it slowly. Have plenty of feed and water stations so that the bullying can't centre around that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenlass Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Thanks Clare..will take a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted November 19, 2007 Author Share Posted November 19, 2007 Liz, your plan sounds good. I had a plan too, but the hens had other ideas Good! Well we won't have too much of a problem, when they're all out free-ranging the little ones think they own the eglu and run and wander and scratch around in the eglu and it's run! Also the big ones only go to roost in the eglu now, but it's quite funny as last weekend Muddles chased the little ones into their own run and scared them, but then she got confused and couldn't work out how to get back out!!! It should go ok now, as they've been near each other for the [past 9 weeks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted November 22, 2007 Author Share Posted November 22, 2007 Well, they are sort of fully intergrated now and getting on really well. Despite a few squabbles occasionally. They're all living in the eglu quite happily and there are only a few gentle pecks at bedtime, and when the bigger ones are fed in the morning. So I'm as it's gone so well. It shall get slightly more interesting when they come into lay though and when Starlet comes back into lay after her moult! (Shouldn't be too long, she's started crouching again!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
