When to introduce new chicken?

[hellymelly]

Just brought home new friend for our single chicken whose last companion died. She has been alone for weeks, and looked rather cross at the arrival of the new one, she pecked at her and jumped on her. Is that fairly normal? The new one is a youngster and I really don't want her hurt. I have taken her out of the run and she is in a cat basket next to the run at the moment. Should I bite the bullet and put them together?

Good news, ours have calmed too, even found their own way into the coop last night 3rd dusk in

Am about to pop the two youngsters in with Dot the Terrible....wish me luck!

Good luck helly. Douse them in talc, it'll do them no harm, and can only do good. I'd love to see Dot's face in the morning when she wakes up and sees that they've multiplied. Ha!

Oh no! Forgot the talc! My dd has a nasty tummy bug and inbetween chicken wars we've been dealing with projectile vomit, so the talc went by the wayside, DH has just popped them in I think. Maybe I should talc them in the morning?

Oh your poor ds, I hope she feels better soon.

Yep, talc them in the morning before opening their pop hole. If it's anything like mite powder they'll end up looking like giant powder puffs :).

Sorry dd, not ds.

Oh dear-DH said that when he put them in Dot was patrolling and pecking , even though its dark....not boding well for the morning is it? Am dreading yet more squawking and flying feathers. Maybe we should have got an older one?

How are things today hellymelly?

How are they all doing helly?

When we got our ex batts they were vile to each other and I really thought they would kill one another. We bought dome anti peck spray which smells awful and that seemed to do the trick. Worth a go ?

Terrible day- she was attacking the one we brought in first the most, the other one that we got yesterday is slightly bigger and slightly more feisty but she was soon crouched in a corner of the house, face to the wall, looking terrified. After a few hours of this we put the two new ones in the pet carrier with food and water , which they dived on, as she hadn't let them feed, and put that into the run. They then got to eat and be safe and Dot could see them. When it was dark we put them back in the house, some protesting from Dot, but all quickly quiet. I think she will resume her attacks in the morning though, so we are going to try borrowing a run, putting it next to Dots and keeping them there for a week , popping them in with her at night, and then see if it is better. The vet has given us a homeopathic remedy to put in Dot's water, and apparently lavender hung in the run and coop can help calm them so will do that tomorrow. If nothing works then we may have to take the two young ones back and try with two older welsummer bantams instead. They are a similar size and shape to Dot.
Bloody beastly animal! she was happily eating spaghetti and grated cheese while glaring at the prisoners in an evil way.

They are hideous creatures when one of mine got runover they instantly turned cannibalistic over her corpse . I do think time will sort them out. Anti-peck spray sounds like a good idea.

NOOOOO! that is very gruesome indeed, am horrified.... Dotty seems actually fond of me, I must be deluded. I didn't spray them as it seemed so mean, was worried about traumatising the new ones further, but I suspect it might come to that. Maybe we should give up and keep her on her own.

I know. I was like Beaker from The Muppets, I could only mouth and point at the scene to DH.

Anyway, I would try and give them a week if you can. I'm a firm believer in animals being able to sort themselves out given the right space and time. What Dot is doing is incredibly normal. Can the breeder give you any other tips?

The breeder says that it can be hard to predict what will work and what won't. Initially she did say that Dot might bully a younger one, but I was so sure she wasn't the bullying type (hollow laugh) that we went for the youngster anyway. We have told her if it doesn't work out then we will swap these two for two welsummer bantams she has. They are about two years old, so should be able to hold their own.
Today we kept the youngsters in a dog crate next to Dotty's run, so that they were on grass (for the first time, they were very excited) and had a little bit more room. We are hoping to borrow a bigger run tomorrow if we can fit it in our Volvo. Dotty did manage to get in the odd peck through the bars, and was pacing up and down next to them, but she seemed less puffed up so maybe has mellowed slightly. I think we will keep them separate like this for at least a week (putting them in together each night to roost) and then see if they can be in the same run. The new girls are noticably relieved to be out of her reach and were looking less traumatised, poor little things.
I am laughing at the image of beaker!

How are,they doing now helly?

I feel your pain, I am currently overseeing resident dogs/ kitten interactions

Not all that well, new ones are very sweet but are now in a separate run in the day for their own safety. I have let them into the garden a little bit, they can fly really well and aren't tame so catching them again was tricky , but Dot looked interested in them in a more matey way, she pecks and eats when they do, that sort of thing. I thought I would risk letting Dotty out too- Rose (new one no2) was close by and Dotty attacked her, Rose ran into Dotty's run with Dotty in hot pursuit, feathers were pulled out, poor Rose got out again and hid behind a flower pot as DH deftly shut the door of Dotty's run just as Dotty was about to run out after Rose. Haven't tried today as have builders here and the garden gate has been open a lot. I think we will give it until the weekend and then maybe try the older chickens, but I feel attatched to the two we have, they are very nice.
How are the dog vs kitten wars going?

We are having exactly the same issues. We introduced two new hens to our two existing hens yesterday. Put them in at night, not a peek from the existing hens. This morning the two newbies were in the nesting box petrified. Every time they ventured out they were chased and pecked. We had to let the old hens out to give the new girls some time and space to feed and drink. Not fun for them
But they will settle down - I hope!!

Any news this morning helly? Mine are trying to kill each other. The new girls are terrified and so again I've had to take the oldies out of the run.

Would it work to put them all in a dark box together and force them to get used to each other ?

We have......... CHICKEN HARMONY !!!
DH let them out as normal this morning, and instead of removing the youngsters and putting them into another run, he waited, they all came out, and although the young ones are keeping at a slight distance from Dot, there hasn't been any chasing, she is eating with them from the food dish and it is all peaceful and fine! I am so relieved. Dotty looks a little bit sad though, but maybe just because its raining and they are all a bit fed up of the wet. So it has taken at least ten days but all is at last ok and we don't have to have our entire (tiny) lawn covered with chicken runs.

so Virgil maybe if it doesn't calm down then put the new ones next to the others but safe, in the day and then in at night, for a few days to get them used to the sight and smell of each other. I really thought these would be going back on Friday in exchange for the welsummers, but at last all is ok.

Really pleased its all worked out. Here's to chicken peace!

or to the peace of chickens...

Oh and ta for all the helpful advice, think I would have given up a lot sooner without it.