[3Bluebelles]

Well thanks everyone for your responses. We have been and got 3 new girls today, and I'm really pleased with them.

We have 2 Burford Browns, 1 is a lovely ginger colour, and the other is almost black, with irridescent feathers. The 3rd one we have bought is a new hybrid, called a Fenton. I hadn't heard of this type before, but fell in love with her on sight. She is pale creamy brown, with almost apricot tints. And apparently she will lay blue eggs!

Now just the problems of introducing them to our girls ahead. Although it's gone well son far. We gave them some food and water when we got them home, then shut them in the coop straight away. Then when it started to get dark we opened it again for the other girls to go in, and they didn't bat an eyelid, just all went in together and settled down to sleep. Hope it's all as calm in the morning.

[hillfooter]

Then when it started to get dark we opened it again for the other girls to go in, and they didn't bat an eyelid, just all went in together and settled down to sleep. Hope it's all as calm in the morning.

Don't count your chickens the feathers will fly tomorrow.

,Congratulations on your new chx though neither is a pure breed.

HF

[3Bluebelles]

No I realise that. I'm a real amateur and am just happy that I've got something a little different.

And yes I'm ready for tomorrow. Anti-peck spray at the ready!

[hillfooter]

No I realise that. I'm a real amateur and am just happy that I've got something a little different.

And yes I'm ready for tomorrow. Anti-peck spray at the ready!  

You mustn't use antipeck spray. That's only for use to break bad habits like feather eating.

What will happen tomorrow is that your old birds will try to drive your new ones away off their teritory.   They may peck and fly at them visciously with their claws.  They may even guard their food, so put out several feeders and drinkers.  This behavior is perfectly NATURAL and NORMAL and won't be cured with antipeck spray.  

Once the old ones have learnt to accept the new ones as part of the flock there will be a pecking order to be sorted out and they will peck each other though not visciously usually.  Again this is perfectly NORMAL behaviour and you should not use antipeck spray to inhibit this and it is unlikely to work anyway.

Antipeck spray is for use with breaking the habit of feather eating and even then the under lying causes usually poor husbandry or nutritional should be tackled first before resorting to this as a very last resort.

In summary there are 3 reasons for pecking.
1    Territorial - Natural behaviour, introduce slowly and time will cure.  This will happen tomorrow
2    Pecking order - Natural behaviour  you shouldn't attempt to suppress and happens all the time though less once an order is established
3    Feather eating / pecking - a mental disorder usualy habit forming brought on by overcrowding, stress, unactivity, high energy dense diet (too many treats), other boredom habit.  Solve by identifying the reason and eliminating.  Use beak bits in preference to antipeck spray.

HF

[basildog]

A bit late but highly recommend Cream Legbars.  I have 5 hens, they are never any trouble, get on with the flock, are rarely ill and good layers.  Can be a bit flightly at first but soon settle down and become quite tame.

[3Bluebelles]

Well it's all going well so far. They came out this morning and looked at the new ones like they didn't know where they had come from! There have been a few moments of flying at each other and a sharp peck on the head, but nothing vicious, more like - 'I'm the boss so just remember that and you'll be OK!'. The new girls have found themselves a place under the coop where they snuggle together and can just poke their heads out and reach both food and water if they want, and the others are mostly leaving them alone, other than an occasional look under the coop to see if they are still there.

I've now separated them just for a little while into the next run, so they can still see each other to give the new girls time to stretch their legs and have a decent feed, which they are doing just fine. Will put them all back together a bit later.

I think tonight I might let the new girls go to bed first then let the others in.

Jacky