The Poultry Keeper

NannyP · Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 7:29 pm Post subject:

Sounds like a good idea to keep them seperate, and they'll have loads of room to find there feet and strength and plenty of time to get to know the other birds Very Happy

moldirox · Joined: 17 May 2005 Posts: 47 Location: west midlands

I'm not sure yet Debcat - I'm thinking two or three. Think that's about the limit in my hen house and run when they are all living together (hopefully) Question

debcat · Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 2:17 pm Post subject:

How long till you get another house Laughing

???

moldirox · Joined: 17 May 2005 Posts: 47 Location: west midlands

lol

I think a new husband will be the next thing if I ask him to build another hen house! He sweated blood over this one and he said "NEVER AGAIN SO DONT ASK!" Rolling Eyes

black rocker · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 67 Location: NEWBURY

hi guys! fancy finding you lot on here! joining this thread, as my question is, i have young banties, who are in a separate run to the big girls, and the big girls seem to like intimidating them as they free range. I want to let the banties out soon, but worried they will get attacked by the big uns... do you reckon it would be a problem, or am i worrying over nothing and pecking order will be sorted into two groups? argue

thanks

SArah Smile

CP · Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2005 2:59 pm Post subject:

Hi, blackrocker & welcome!

Are the big girls, BIG girls or are they bantams also?

You are always going to get a bit of 'sorting out the pecking order' argy bargy, but as they can see each other already I wouldn't have thought it would be too bad.

All you can do is try & make sure you are there to separate them if it all goes wrong!

NannyP · Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2005 4:06 pm Post subject:

Hello Sarah, welcome. Cool

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

hello Sarah and welcome, hope you enjoy it here.
I think you will be fine introducing the two sets of girls together. Whenever I've done it I always have a handful of food or treat for them as and soon as one looks like going in for serious business throw some food ~ it's a great distraction.
There is bound to be a sorting of 'pecking order' ~ you can't avoid that but so long as it doesn't get too serious with vicious pecking it will sort itself out and then they will be fine. Make sure they have plenty of room so that the 'lower' ones have space to run. It's not always the bantams that are at the bottom, I have a couple who think they are bigger than anyone else and jump up to be as high as the other head to prove the point!
Good luck

black rocker · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 67 Location: NEWBURY

hi again - yes they are black rocks, so big girls, and the banties are wyandottes, but only 11/12 weeks old. There is one cockerel among the banties, and I have just acquired a buff orp large fowl cockerel too....

I think there will be plenty of room for all of them - but the banties are still quite jumpy, though corn (and grapes!) could be the best distraction for all as you say! Exclamation

will have to put this site in my faves now too! nice small number of members... Smile

richard · Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 258 Location: somerset

Hi all,
I'm very new to this but I have a suggestion from a very good book.
The author says you should only introduce new birds to an established flock at night when they are on the perch & you should spray all the birds, old & new, with a plant sprayer containing water & a bit of vinegar so that they all smell the same, then the new birds will be accepted as part of the flock by the morning. Does this sound mad? I've never tried it.

Lisa · Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 10:29 pm Post subject:

Hi Richard

I'm not sure about the vinegar thing - from what I've read chickens don't have a very good sense of smell. But... it can't do any harm, can it?

Putting them in at night is a good option - they will all be sleepy and so less likely to fight. Plus the idea is they wake up in the morning and think something along the lines of "oh, so you live here too do you?"....

richard · Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 258 Location: somerset

Hi Lisa,
it does say in the book that they don't smell too well but but he reckons that's how they tell a new bird from an old one. As I said, I know nothing myself but I thought it sounded interesting. The book is called "the complete encyclopedia of chickens". It's got a good list of breeds in it too.