Need some words of encouragement!

[lettucegrow!]

Well, we are now week one and I'm afraid my three girls are not that much more in love with the newbies. With respect to them I probably have done it all wrong as I have introduced new girls and changed their surroundings all at the same time so this could be a big learning curve to any one else thinking of introducing new birds. But they are here and I love them so I want them to settle. I have them separated in one run during the day as the bullying is a bit much and the new girls are very timid. One of them is 19 weeks and when I go into the run and try to get them to fed together at the end of the day when I get home she hides behind my legs! They sleep together with no problems but in the morning will not come out of the coop until I am there and put them in their section. I have the weekend now and was wondering what I should do. I still have lots of sorting out to do so will be in and out of the run area most of tomorrow. What do I do for the best. Carry on keeping them separate for a bit, I read it can take a while for this to calm down or go for it and separate them when it gets really bad??? I'm sort of regretting upsetting their happy balance but these two newbies are really lovely( as you've seen from previous post) HELP

[di]

It's horrid intergrating newbies isn't it!
Although not many,we've had a few experiences of it...when we first introduced Dandelion and Marigold to the ten ISA's it was hard going,but with a little perseverence they were allowed to join the flock,even if it was way down at the bottom.
However,after Marigold had been sitting on eggs things got really bad and I honestly think if I'd left her in with them she wouldn't have survived(there's ten of 'them' and as her sis took over the eggs only one of her)

More recently we've had to introduce chicks(once big enough)to the mixed bunch.
It was hard and at times I had to look away but they now all share the same run(they as in the mixed lot,the ISAs are separate)
It breaks my heart watching Roo,she's a dark Brahma that we got to keep Boo our home hatched chick company.She's been the odd one out from the start and even now gets reminded that she waits to eat til the others have had their share.(I'm hoping that when the time comes to introduce our chicks to them that she'll find a friend)

nyway...to the point.If it were me,I'd keep them together all day over the weekend,so I could keep an eye that nothing was getting out of hand.If the henpecking stopped at that and didn't progress to blood being drawn then I'd keep them together from then on.
I don't know about you but I know I'm guilty of thinking of them as having the same feelings of rejection that we do,perhaps I'm right,but perhaps they don't have those feelings and it's all not quite so bad as we think

Good Luck with them...I hope by Sunday bedtime they're all a little more accepting of things.Just try to remember that in chook world,for there to be a Top of the pecking order there also has to be a bottom(unfortunately),as long as you don't fear for their lives perhaps it's best to let them work that out. xxx

[lettucegrow!]

Thanks for that. My gut reaction is to do just that, give it a go this weekend as they have had a week of looking at each other. The new girls just seem so scared and there are places in the run that they have been cornered in. The screeching is horrible to hear. I think you are right in that we put our feelings on to them and what's happening. I'm going to clear out the rubbish they corner the newbies in, and try and let hem get on with it. I've read it can take several weeks to settle. Maybe it's a compliment as to how happy they were-ie spoilt!!!!

[di]

We've got an old tractor tyre in our run,Roo is often to be found sitting on it.Not sure if it's to get away from the girls or if she was the only sensible one that learnt whilst she was on it the (now consumed) boys couldn't get their balance to cause her any grief
Whichever,now that the Boys are gone it still seems to be her little Haven
I'm sure any upturned and sturdy object could act in much the same way.

[Hans Mum]

spraying them with a dilute solution of vinegar helps if you spay them all it puts them of the scent so to speak, i did it with mine when i introduced some more & it wasnt too bad. can you spend the day with them letting the free range maybe that might help take their minds of the newbies?

[Nicos]

I hope things settle quickly

I chickened out of getting new gals- and got eggs instead ( to be adopted by one of my gals) - for that very reason. I must be a wimp

[Tomatoking]

Well I am a complete novice to this game, but last year I got three hens, after a month I decided I needed one more hen.
After reading all the tips about introducing a new girl to my flock, it said it would be better to introduce two at a time, but I only really had room for one more.

The guy where I got the hens from said just give it a few days and there would be no problem.

Well for a week or so I felt so sorry for my new girl, Clarissa, but I perservered, and kept seperating all the girls, so she was with a different hen for a few hours at a time, which gave them time to bond a little.

It all turned out well in the end and Clarissa is vitually top hen now.

Unfortunately, I lost one of my girls, so it looks like I will have to do it all again!

Good Luck .

Mr TK

[lettucegrow!]

Thanks for all the hints and tips. Been shopping most of today. Needed to spend time with lovely hubby before he thinks I am totally mad chicken woman. End of the day free ranging did not go so well as the residents just went off and roamed leaving the other two to hang around by me all confused. The youngest one of the newbies is absolutely terrified and just legs it whenever one of the others is near, with lots of squawking. Going to be up early and out with all the day and will shut the coop door after all have laid so they just have to deal with it. It's all so stressful!!!

[mr darcy]

do you have a boy to keep order? penny my light was a late addition and the others were really nasty, bit by bit they stopped actually knocking her to the ground but then completely ostracised her, she wasn't allowed to do anything or go near them or food or water or go into roost untill scarlet said she could, sometimes scarlet would block the pop hole for half an hour till penny slept outside and i intervened, what a bitch!! when i got Sox my lovely boy he sorted out everything, all the bossies got a quiet but firm pecking to the back of the neck and peace was restored! now they all range together, bath together (dust i mean) cuddle up against the wind together etc
hope things sort out for your girlies soon, it will, it's all about time and subtle shifts of power!!

[lettucegrow!]

Not an option to have a boy, I'm afraid. Letting them feed in peace and then I'm going to let them free range again while I potter in the garden and see what happens. It's the way they hide behind me that's so sad , they know I'm going to protect them.

[Glutton4...]

My Husband and Parents call me the mad chicken woman, so don't worry.

Be brave and put them all together. Seriously, just let them get on with it. They'll never sort out their own pecking order if you keep separating and re-introducing them. I know you don't want one to be picked on or injured, but it is natural for them to sort themselves out.

I've introduced two groups and changed coop/location at the same time on two separate occasions. They will sort themselves out, honest.

[BUFFS]

can you give them loads to do,take their mind off the bullying,put veg,suspended,just out of reach,a seed ball,asweetcorn cob,while they are busy jumping for whatever is on offer,the newbies can become part of the normal background,i spray the bullies with vinegar each time i catch them,and it seems to work,best of luck and it WILL get better..

[RichmondHens]

My Husband and Parents call me the mad chicken woman, so don't worry.

Be brave and put them all together. Seriously, just let them get on with it. They'll never sort out their own pecking order if you keep separating and re-introducing them. I know you don't want one to be picked on or injured, but it is natural for them to sort themselves out.

I've introduced two groups and changed coop/location at the same time on two separate occasions. They will sort themselves out, honest.

I get called the mad chicken woman too G4. Seems there's a lot of us out there!

Lettuce, as G4 says, just let them get on with it. In a couple of weeks you will wonder what you were worrying about.

[BUFFS]

I get called the mad chicken woman too G4. Seems there's a lot of us out there!

Lettuce, as G4 says, just let them get on with it. In a couple of weeks you will wonder what you were worrying about.

found out last week,i am now known as "chicken george", does anybody remember "roots" in the 70s,shows my age..

[petal]

I had this problem once, I separated my newbie with the 'top' hen then reintroduced 2 weeks later. Saying that, since we got Gandalf, new hens never get picked on, he is very good at sorting them all out! There is a young light sussex that follows him around all day for protection at the moment!