Introducing Chickens

[thebdj]

Another question!

I am not going to go into the unbelievable saga of why I may end up with 9 chickens, just go with the flow!

Suffice to say I have my 3 at the moment who are cross-breeds. I may well shortly be having 6 pure-breeds (all different) turn up on the same day. The 3 ladies I currently have are very close and get on exceptionally well with each other even though one of them is a clear leader of the pack!

How do I introduce the new ladies or what is the best way to do it? I do not want the wailing sound of fighting hens echoing across my village and to find more feathers in my garden than after some sort of elaborate pillow fight?

Cheers
Justin

[happychicks]

Hi Justin

Thanks for the questions.

If what you mean is you want to introduce new hens to an already established group there is a way of reducing the impact on the group as a whole. If possible seperate your new hens with chicken wire from the others so they can see and smell and get used to one another. Now if their isnt sufficient room in the run to do that you can get a rabbit run. All it is, is a small 6 foot run made of thin timber and wire and put it touching the coup. Leave them in it for a while so they get used to being in each others presence, then after a while slowly introduce them to each other being VERY watchfull for large fights. There will be some quaralling, that goes without saying, they will need to establish who is boss, the Pecking Order. Watch them like a hawk, and see if things settle down.

Please dont just throw them all together and keep your fingers crossed. You are asking for problems. I have always introduced them by keeping the two groups side by side for a few weeks, ensuring the wire is touching each other so they are as close as possible, OR if you have a big enough run splitting it in two down the middle. Let them get to know each other first and you will have a much more calm group once they are fully introduced. They may not even notice the wire is gone but its rather wishful thinking.

Hens tend not to fight when they have enough room. If you are putting too many together in a confined space they will argue a lot more so please be mindful of this Justin.

Please let us know how you get on and i wont ask why you are getting more. I too started with one hen once and ended up with more than I could manage.

Its the joys of keeping Hens and wait till you taste their fresh eggs. You will never buy Supermarket eggs again.

Happy Keeping, and if you are surfing around the shop does a range of excellent Hen Keeping books for beginers. You can find them at

www.happychicks.co.uk/mall/departmentpage.cfm/Happychicksshop/_207413/1/Books

Also you can always give us a ring for some advice and speak to Sarah, she is more than willing to give you sound advice.

Kindest regards as always

Simon

[thebdj]

Is there any length of time that really allows you to consider a group etablished? I mean for arguments sake, if I got the first 3 last Saturday and the next 6 came this Saturday, is this less of a concern because the first 3 aren't yet established? Also how clever are chickens as the 3 girls all grew up for the first 10-20 weeks of their lives on the same farm so may potentially have already established some kind of group/bond.

I properly measured the run this evening and it is approximately 675 square feet, not what I had guessed yesterday! This may help in allowing the girls their own space. If I put the new girls in a different ark at one end of the run, maybe that would help although like you say I could comfortably fence off down the middle and leave them some good space.

[happychicks]

Hi Justin

Thanks for the message

If they have grown up together they will have established a pecking order. Yes. I have received 4 new chicks on Tuesday and already they have sorted out their order and know who is the boss and they steer clear of her, if that gives you some idea. I also think it depends on how stong a character the head hen is too. To be honest its rather difficult to answer, yes its better as they have only been together a week but still after a week a pack can be in place so yes and no. Sorry to be vague Justin but yes a pack can be in place, how strong that pack is depends on the hens. It may mean that you can separate them for less a time rather than weeks as if they all get together, sepatated, for a week or two it may do the trick.

I think you are absolutely right, partition half off and see how you go with trial and error. It certainly wont do any harm at all. I appreciate the temptation is there to shove them all together but think its asking for problems when there is little work involved in separating them for a while.

Another great tip is when you do go ahead and introduce them fully to each other wait till night time, THIS IS IMPORTANT. Wait till the birds (older stock) have been in their coup locked away for 2 or so hours after dark then put the new birds in. They are far less inclined to fight at night than daylight. Also you will find the hens sleep in the same spot at night due to pecking order. They all have their favorite spots to sleep in. Go in with a torch, put the new birds in manually in a FREE space and they will be far less inclined to fight as their space wont be intruded upon. Last time I did this I let them out the following day like I always do and it was as if they had always been together.

I hope this helps Justin, patience is the key, dont rush it and like I have said do it at night and things will hopefully be fine.

Kindest regards

Simon

[thebdj]

I thought you may suggest putting them together at night. I didn't realise just how amusingly docile the girls are at night. I can pet them, stroke them, talk to them and all sorts and they seem quite happy to let me do it!

Didn't realise they had their favourite sleeping spot but come to think of it, they are always in the same place if I lift the lid of the ark at nighttime.

My 'boss', I am inclined to believe, is a bit of a bully. One of my cats paced around the perimeter of the run yesterday and she came running over wings flapping making all sorts of noises. Very amusing, especially as the cat in question is very docile AND deaf. She didn't even notice my boss making her presence clear!

So I am thinking what I might do is actualy invest in a small sub-ark. I would like to do this for potential hatching in the future where I can keep a broody silkie in any case. If I used this and kept it close to the other ark where they could see, smell and hear each other, I assume this would also be a positive move.

[happychicks]

I am sure it will indeed be a positive move.

Yes they are rather more docile in their coup.

Let us know how you get on Justin, keep us informed.

Kindest regards

Simon

[thebdj]

I ended up with 3 white silkie ladies who are beautiful but they are younger than I had anticipated. I think they are at about 10-12 weeks old. I have put them in a separate little ark (it's actually a rabbit hutch with a small run attached) and have positioned this next to the main ark in the run.

I have encouraged eating near the silkie ark for the larger established ladies and this has proved quite fruitful. There has been no mad flapping or squawking, and in all honesty the silkies and the big ladies seem not to be bothered by each other at all.

What I am going to do in a few days time is put the silkies in the big ark during the day with the side closed and then put them back in the small ark at nighttime before the big ladies put themselves to sleep. After a few days of this I am going to do the same thing but then put the silkies up in the sleeping area of the big ark. Hopefully this will all start becoming more and more fruitful and they will all end up getting on with each other a treat.

Couple more questions though:

1) Does it matter that the silkies are still quite young mixing with the larger ladies? If they get on with each other I guess not

2) Something I have noticed is that one of my ladies doesn't hurt the silkies but seems to quite like plucking at their feathers through the side of the ark and if I don't keep an eye on here I'm concerned I am going to end up with bald silkies! She doesn't seem to be aggressive about it and the silkies don't seem overly disturbed by it, but it doesn't look too sharp. Any ideas?

[happychicks]

Hi Justin

I dont suppose it does matter as long as there is harmony. I would definately watch the one thats pecking through the cage and be mindful it doesn't get worse and go beyond that. Just common sense. She may be just putting her foot down on "my space" and letting them know who's boss. I once had a broody hen that loved pulling the feathers out of the others to line her own next, never her own feathers always the others. Just keep a keen eye it doesnt get worse.

Thanks for the post

Simon

[thebdj]

Well I keep 'telling her off' for pecking at the silkies but she takes little notice. Have tried throwing her all sorts of treats and she merrily munches through them before returning to silkie feathers for dessert!

I will keep an eye on it and if it gets too much will return to the drawing board. On the bright side, tonight is the first night that she has gone to bed properly! Hoorah! I now have all my chickens doing exactly what they should be doing ... except laying eggs. Doh!

[happychicks]

It may just settle down of its own accord. I have had this problem of bullying, although you say its done not in a bad way, and have left them to their own devices and they have sorted it amongst themselves. Dont leave it till its bald, then there obviously is a problem but keep a keen eye on things and you may find they sort themselves out. Who knows why they do it, nobody for sure just be watchfull.

Kindest regards

Simon