[chooks-away]

Hi All

I have had 3 layers for around 6 months and have had 3 eggs every day without fail for the last 3 months. Last week (Wednesday) I added 3 new girls and the the ritual of the "Pecking order" began (and still continues today). I am relatively new to looking after Chickens but decided to add another 3 because my friends kept on asking for eggs and I  hope that the sale of the Eggs will cover the cost of looking after the Chickens.

Now since adding the new girls my egg rate fell initially to between 1 and 2 per day, I now get 2 -3 per day and usually one of these is from the new Girls, Is this normal when introducing new Chickens and how long before the Pecking order ritual stops?

Any help would be most apprciated
 

[joyfull]

it is perfectly normal, don't worry they will all get back to laying before long 

[chooks-away]

it is perfectly normal, don't worry they will all get back to laying before long 

Thanks, thats reassuring as I was getting a bit worried about all the pecking

[joyfull]

the pecking order can last for a couple of weeks then you get a period of grudging acceptance and finally friendship with just the odd reminder 

[viettaclark]

I'm interested to know how you have integrated your new girls because I've just introduced 2 more to my 3 that I've had for 2 years.
I am basing the new ones in a small coop next to the big one and they can all see each other. I let them all out to free-range the garden at lunchtime and scatter some cooked brown rice thinly in a wide area so they get used to eating together.
So far the old 3 have let the youngsters know their place by a lot of wing flapping, telling- off, beak lunges and chasing but no blood drawn (yet)
I 'm pretty sure there hasn't been major fighting because there is plenty of outside area but I do want them to all share the eglu cube eventually and the run is much smaller!!
Am I going the right way?

[ManicMum]

We added 6 POL brown hens to our 2 remaining ex-batts.  The old hen who is still laying missed one day, the new girls integrated themselves quite quickly - flapping and lunging but no blood drawn - and started laying after about a week. 

The numbers may have helped with the integration as the "interlopers" outnumbered the oldies.  Also, the oldies were always quite restrained in their manner, but the youngsters have NO inhibitions!