[SurreyLass]

For anyone who read my posts about my experience of integrating chickens, I thought I would post to let you know how we are getting on, as I am worried that I may have put some people off!

Well, tommorrow is 3 weeks since they moved in together - and for nearly a week now, the dust has settled somewhat - or there are times of harmony at least! Chief Chicken (Henrietta) remains no problem, No.2 Chicken (Milly) is the one to ruffle feathers and still goes for it from time to time each day, No.3 Chicken (Oeuf-elia - Speckeldy) general gets about under the radar, and is mostly left alone and bottom chicken (Pauline Fowler - Sussex) still gets is - she is the most timid anyway, and runs up into the house at the drop of an acorn!

They have yet to dustbath together or anything so lovely, but, we have had no blood, and most days now are much less stressful!

Thanks for all your support !

[Beano]

I'm so glad for you and thanks for keeping us posted with the good news. They will dust bath together eventually, well most of them anyway. The middle one of ours will peck the youngsters until they move out of the way and then pinch their spot. They don't always move and she eventually reluctantly agrees to share.
I found this brilliant site when I was desperate for advice on integrating and was glad I did.
Next time someone writes for help on integrating, you will be able to give them advice.

[dinosaw]

Thats great to hear, i'm so pleased for you  , your bottom chook will always get it in the neck to some extent off the original 2 (normally just being periodically pecked off the feeder) and you will find they will knock around in two seperate groups to a certain degree so don't worry if this happens.

[mummychick]

So glad to hear that they eventually settle down    I've had my new chooks for 10 days and there is still a lot of feathers flying!!!  I'm hopefully going to put them in the same coop next week, so fingers crossed 

[viettaclark]

I put mine straight in at night last Saturday and they're fine locked in the coop together but fights start as soon as they're let out in the morning. I just let them out of the run to freerange in the garden and they're fine. Any treats and the new ones are chased off but come back carefully and today I had all 6 pecking up corn together!
The fact that they all went in to bed together from that second night made me think they were going to be ok.
New ones had a few little pecks in their combs but the blood dried very black so no probs. No feather pecking at all.
It all looks really nasty when three gang up on one in a corner of the run but there's plenty of space to run away in the garden.