Introducing 3 to 2 existing

BabyBantam

BabyBantam

Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2011
Messages
498
Reaction score
0
Location
Devon
Off to get two more girls to keep my two warm & snuggly this weekend :) BUT...... If i get greedy and fall in love with three, will it be a rough ride for the 'odd' one?
My ark is suitable for 6, so space is not an issue, just dont want to make life difficult for one.
 
Hello BB,
Recently I took a great chance and introduced 5 younger ones into the bantam hut of my 5 older ones. It was purpose made for 10 - 12, so a bit under occupied. One of the 5 was a young lemon cuckoo Pekin cockerel, Pierre, who seems to be a great success.
Most days they spend a fair bit of time in the garden, luckily near the house, especially near the back door, (treats)!!
All of the younger Pekins are a bit uppity and think they should rule the roost, my two oldest girls usually do but are moulting and well but look so fragile and vulnerable. There were a few hen fisticuffs, but all in all the move went very well, I think with such an integration stunned them all!
 
Three is fine as a group if they all arrive together. The new three will have the advantage of numbers over the older ones, which will ease things. The main thing is to give them two weeks separate from the old ones, for quarantine as well as to let them settle in and see the older ones through the wire, then put them in the big coop after roosting so they all sleep together. Autumn is the best time to introduce newbies as the older birds are out of the breeding season and much less territorial.
I've had two growers penned alongside the big girls for 5weeks now, as I got them at 13 weeks, still eating growers pellets of course. On Tuesday the first one crouched under my hand, so that night I put them in the coop and was down there at 7.00 to see them all emerge. There was no aggression whatsoever, even from the Leghorn who had been quite nasty through the wire before they were integrated. The big girls started feasting on the spare growers pellets feeder, and the two groups kept separate, but no aggro at all. The pullets were evn allowed on the long communal perch! I had to go down and put them to bed, but they should soon find out how to get in to the coop for themselves.
 
Got a new house set up with a small run made by hubby for the newbies to live until wormed and confirmed as healthy. My 2 are in full moult and a little stressed at the mo, so taking it easy on the introductions until I have a full weekend to allow them all to spread out and introduce themselves in the garden with room to run away.
Hoping this will be easier on me than last time (introducing 2 to poor old lone Nancy) but as always, going to be harder on me than the chooks!
 
The little girl, Cinnamon, who crouched to my hand 2 days ago laid her first egg today - a beautiful little very deep brown one. Now waiting for Speedwell, the other pullet, to produce her blue one ......
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top