The Poultry Keeper

woollylegs · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 84 Location: North Kent

I am down from 4 to 3 hybrids- nearly 2 yrs old that live in a 5x4 foot pen with a large penthouse above for roosting and nesting.
I took on 2x speckledeys 4 days ago (hatched Sept 07). They are larger and much heavier birds, are well and have even layed for me. They have been in an old guinea pig hutch next to the pen so the girls can see each other.
Yesterday, I cobbled together a partition which I put in the pen- so the newbies are at the back (converted cardboard box for roosting/laying etc) and the oldies at the front. Not much room but I hope this is temporary!
There is sometimes some "squaring up" through the chicken mesh divide- and pecking and the newbies show alot of interest in my oldies.
I let my oldies out a few hours daily in the garden. I will keep the newbies in though.
My Q is, just how- and when is a good time to remove the divide- it fell down yesterday and one of the oldies and one of the newbies started fighting.
Am very worried about whether they'll do harm and I really want to prevent this so am asking any old timers who have done this before- the best way please!
Thank you.

Chris Kurzfeld · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1222 Location: Carmarthenshire

I usually put the newbies in a separate coop and run within the big run for a couple of weeks then let them out together, keeping an eye out for bullying - it works for me but I normally have around 10 newbies together so they tend not to get picked on. Recently I have had just 2 Brahma bantam youngsters that needed to go in with an older one (the other 2 are broody). As there was 2 to 1 I put them all in together at night and everything has gone well - though what will happen when the 2 broodies go back is anyones guess Very Happy

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Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1178 Location: Manchester

I would watch and wait till the fighting through the divide has stopped.

I did have a really good page on introducing chickens, I'll go find it...

Here you go -
http://www.poultryhelp.com/introbird.html

"2. Partition an existing enclosure
If you don't have an open pen to combine the birds, divide the existing pen and place the older birds in one side and the new birds on the other side. Use wire for the divider so the two groups can see each other and interact. Make sure that each partition has their own food and water available. Leave them like this for at least a week, or until the birds quit trying to fight with each other through the wire, then remove the partition."

there's other good info on there too like do it in the dark and keep them busy

woollylegs · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 84 Location: North Kent

- thanks Kitsune and Chris- very helpful, will be less anxious now!