Hello everyone..

[polo]

Thought it was about time I introduced myself after 6 months of lurking around the forum.

I started with 5 POL girls in spring this year and thanks to the forum have learnt so much, poultry shield and diatom powder must be one of the best inventions ever for red mite! They are laying really well and hardly miss a day at the moment.

The hen keeping bug well and truly caught and I rescued 5 hens who were homeless (and I had the room). They were in awful state and I kept them seperate from my girls while I wormed and powdered them. The red mite and lice the hens had were truly awful and I'm pleased to say the Poultry shield and diatom powder had them sorted in two days. After a couple of weeks I introduced the groups together - how nerve racking is that! They could see each other in their seprate pens for the first couple of weeks the they went in the same pen seperated by chicken wire. (all learnt off the forum I might add - thanks!)

All have settled well apart from 2 who are now in full moult. They are being picked on by 3 of my hens, they really don't leave them alone and today I had enough of watching and put the three worst offenders behind chicken wire to give the new girls a break. Tonight was the worst yet. One of my girls just wouldnt let the new girl in the house until I intervened by picking her up until new girl got settled. Its bizarre because this bullying behaviour is getting worse day by day, in the early days of being together they were relatively nice to each other.

They are all on warm layers mash + poultry spice to help the moutlers as well as layers during the day. Do you have any advice on moulting or getting them settled together? I just want them all to be friends.....

Look forward to meeting you all....

[vicky]

Hi Polo, welcome to the vine.
Well done with the chickens! The only idea I have is to give them something else to think about - scattering their food so they have to search for it or hanging up a cabbage for them to jump up at.

[Gro-Bag]

Hi Polo - Welcome. Yes it's a great forum isn't it - I've learnt so much on here. I'm relatively new to the chickens compared to a lot of rule the roost-ers, I expect you'll get some tips from the experts soon, but it sounds like you are doing all the right things with your girls, and they are just establishing a pecking order, but yes, distractions are good. Spent today rearranging everything on the patio where mine live and my teens and the big girls were all having a great time going at the creepy and sluggy things every time I shifted stuff, and forgot all about pecking at each other - distractions are good! : )

[polo]

Maybe I should move the compost heap in there - that would keep them busy for hours!

Thanks for the advice so far... will raid the lottie for unwanted greens.

[RichmondHens]

Hi Polo and Welcome to the Vine

The pecking order may alter during the moult as hens who are feeling off colour while moulting may not be their usual selves. The others who are feeling more sprightly will take advantage of that. It's probably a temporary thing and once the moulters are re-feathered they will turn round and start standing up for themselves again.

[polo]

Thanks for the info. This is the first time I have gone through a moult with the girls and in hind sight i wouldnt introduce new chooks at this time again. Having said that, they were desperate being homeless so they are still better off.

[Nicos]

Hi there- and welcome to the Vine!!

I've moved your thread to the intro section so you are introducing yourself to more peeps!

[Flummery]

Hi and welcome - thanks for the tip-off about black rocks in Yorkshire. I've never introduced new hens but I read somewhere that when you let them in together for the first time, do it just as you scatter a bit of grain before they go to bed. Distraction, as the others said. Next day do the same half an hour earlier. After a week - well, they might be getting 2 suppers but they should be in together - and used to one another. As I said, this is theory to me, but it works for some people.

Best of luck. The moult doesn't help does it?

[Florence Fennel]

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Vine!

[Bigmallly]

Welcome to the vine polo, afraid I know nothing about rearing chickens but their are lots of grapes who do.

[ginger ninger]

Hello Polo and welcome to the vine from me as well.

[BUFFS]

Hi Polo, welcome to the vine.
Well done with the chickens! The only idea I have is to give them something else to think about - scattering their food so they have to search for it or hanging up a cabbage for them to jump up at.

put the cabbage just out of reach,so they have to work at it,sounds like you are doing fine,any problems will be solved by one of the experts,its like having your own teacher of chook matters...

[janet986w]

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Vine!

Hi, I am a new member of forum. Would a newcomer be warmly welcome here? Good day you guys!!!