[SurreyLass]

Okey dokey - would love your thoughts please!

I have 2 ISA Browns who POL in March, and I have now bought a 16/17 week old 'POL' Sussex and a Speckeldy. I brought them home last Saturday, and while they were in the cat crate, and we were readying the new big house for the big girls, and moving the smaller house next to it for the new girls, we parked the crate next to the big girls - lots of shouting and puffing up!

Once we moved the big girls into the new house and run, and the new girls into the smaller house and run next to it, there was a little bit of shouting, but not so much.

They seem to spend a lot of their time up near each other, just going about chickeny things (digging etc!).

How long should I keep them apart? The 2 new girls are much more timid than my big girls were when I brought them home - they run away as soon as I go near, whereas my brown girls, from day one couldnt get close enough!!!

Any advice would be greatly received. Dont want to do it too early, but also would rather give the new girls more space in the main run asap once its possible!

Thanks

[Sassy]

It is always advisable to keep them separate for 2 to 3 weeks anyway to ensure the new chooks are not introducing any nasties to your existing flock. Then I would put them into the hen hut with the others at night when they are all calm.

[Bev]

i kept mine next to each other for a couple of weeks then let them free range in the garden for aweek so they had plenty of space to run away but they went back to their own beds each night. Then put them all in together. It does takr a while to sort out the pecking order though and the younger ones are still roosting on top of the house until i come along and put them in.

Bev

[gracie]

When ours met officially without fencing inbetween we let them out free range and kept a close eye on them. Separating them again when going  back in the run. The free ranging became longer over a 4 day period then that night we put them together at bed time and they really bonded quite well. It only took 3 night for them to mix themselves up on the roost bars instead of sleeping separately.
If they can free range apparently they are happier when first meeting as it is neutral territory rather than the original birds feeling the need to protect their territory.

Good luck.

[daisy1990]

Dont forget when they sort themselves out it can be quite viscious and look horrible to see.  We thought ours would never integrate but they all have and when they do it is a relief!

[Sassy]

When introducing new birds always a good idea to have extra feeders and waterers out as that is where many of the problems lie.

[SurreyLass]

Sadly, ours cant free range - unsecure hedges and surrounded by woodland and foxes.

I was thinking of putting something in the run for distraction too, like a pecking hanging thing (corn and stuff) to try and keep the big girls busy.

Its weird, there has been no sqwarking at all since the initial shouting when we brought them home a week ago. The big girls seem to spend most of their time up near the new girls too.

I have 2 big feeders and 2 big waterers, and will make them all available initially so that the small girls have better access.

Is been a week now, but will give it another week, even though all's currently quiet on the chicken front!