How long for new introductions to be accepted?

C

Chickenbrain2009

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On average.
I have now got a very large walk in coop with plenty of room for them to get away. I already have three birds, a skyline, speckledy and a bova nera. However I am gradually increasing my flock to account for the additional quarters. I introduced a Maran and a Barnevelder on Saturday. I suppose I should have kept them seperate, but in any case they all look healthy.
They are now all sleeping together but every time the newcomers come out of the chicken house they are attacked by the others. I have put them seperated out as I can divide the pen into two, and given them food and water seperately as I was worried they were not able to get to the food and drink :( . At the moment they are too scared to come out of the hen house, unless I take them out myself.

Cheers
 
How long.... is a piece of string. You can never anticipate the level of resistance that newcomers have to endure. You've done right to provide extra feed and water or the new ones would not get enough. If this level of intimidation continues , I think you need to split the pen so they can get aquainted through the wire. Even thn the new ones may be too intimidated to make an appearance at first. If you are going to introduce more, expect the same prolems and they really should be in isolation for a fortnight.
 
Hello, just put one or two feeders/water containers in the house and run- if they are not being bullied too much and there is no blood, let them get on with it- they will settle down - if you separate them you are just delaying the fighting.
regards, Davidd :)
 
After the two week quarantine in a run and coop alongside I try to introduce them at night. All the birds in the coop, new and old, are sprayed with Lavender. First thing in the morning they go straight out into the run with two feeders and drinkers, or three if you already have two. Shortly after they are allowed out to free range. If fights start they need space to run away and if fights are prolonged I remove them and try the process that evening, giving them time to recover their strength. Usually one day is all it takes for the newcomers to be accepted, although I may have to place them on the perches at night for a few weeks. If I leave them on the floor they get poo'd on!
 
I leave the poop hole open and they all take themselves to bed, no problem. I will continue to leave ouut extra food, I wonder if its to do with making sure the established flock get enough food?
 
PS I do take them out so they can see each other through the wire already, as the pen is divided into two.
 
Yes CB. They need to see each other. The old hens are protecting their territory and their flock, which is the supply of their food. They don't make the connection to food being readily available so its a primeval thing.
 
The other main factor is the size of the run. You haven't said what size yours is, though you did say you have a 'very large walk-in coop' - did you mean run? If you had 3 birds to start with and then added another two, the available space for the original birds has been reduced by nearly a half. If your run is any less than 10 square metres, (2 per bird) it's too small for 5 hens. 2 square metres each is generally accepted as the minimum area for hens to live peacefully together, more is better, and if they are crowded more than this, there will be trouble and newbies will be resented. They will learn to live togetrher more easily the greater the space you can give them. If they can be allowed to freerange at all in your garden, they will form two groups, each in the space they feel comfortable with, and appear not to be taking notice of each other, but the process of integration will nevertheless be going on, with less stress to all of them. .
 
Hi, my run is twice the size of my lounge, if it gives you any idea. I havent actually measured it. I had a central division put in so that I can seperate birds if need be. It looks a bit better today, I noticed the Maran was mixing with the other three and the Skyline didnt go for her as much, so perhaps its gradully improving. On top of that the coop itself is a woodshed which I guess is at least six foot square, so birds can go in there as well during the day. On average I would guess the amount of space they have now is at least five times bigger than the forsham arc I have, which is recommended for four hens. Probably more actually, and they can fly upwards as well if need be. I a getting a couple of polish bantams on Saturday which are due to go in the Forsham, although I will let them out into the garden a bit when I am about, because of the fox.
 
Well the Skyline has been refusing to allow the new arrivals out , so I seperated her and today added a Polish duo plus a Lavender araucana duo. All semed calm. I have decided to sell or give away the Skyline if she carries on like this.
Tonight I went to check they were all alright, and despite the fact that she was on a different pen she had managed to fly over the top of the division and make it into the shed, where she sat doggedly. Quite some feat.
 
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