Need Help Incorporating New Chickens with old

[ChickMomma]

I have searched and tried to follow the advise given here but it seems that it is just not meant to be. At the beginning of November I received two polish chickens from a fellow BYCer and confined them in my chicken tractor for three weeks. I then moved them into the coop with the other girls but separated them in a wire dog crate. They were in the crate for about one week. I am home from work on Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sun so I decided to let them out with the other chickens on Thursday. The first day they would not venture out of the coop but they did on Friday. There were a few squabbles but nothing major between all the girls. Then I come home from work on Monday and one of the polish is almost bald!!!

I really dont want to keep the polish in my tractor over the winter as I have no way to heat it. I also dont want them to have to live in a dog crate in my coop forever because I cannot hang my waterer in the coop when the crate is in it and it is not fair to the polish. The top two hens are my golden comets and they were doing the most picking when I was home to see. Can I move them into the tractor till my 3 other girls get used to the polish and then reintroduce the comets and them not pick on the polish?

Sorry this is so long but I need some help here!!!

S.

 

[devora]

Man, sorry you're going thru this. Can't say I've done it myself ("So why are you posting???) but I remember reading that Polish have trouble b/c of the crest. I think that's right.

Are they close to the same size, all your birds? That plays a part as well.

I'm sure some BYC guru will swoop down and help you out. Just wanted to give you some sympathy!!!

 

[hcammack]

I have heard that polish often have problems in a mixed flock situation.

Henry

 

[ChickMomma]

Thanks for posting. I have read that too but I thought that I could make it work for some strange reason

.

The polish are older than the others but a little smaller body mass wise.

Do you think that by removing the aggressive chickens and then reintroducing them after the polish have become accustomed to the rest of the flock would help or am I going to have to build another coop (not an option at this time).

How do you think that they would do in my tractor all winter? I am in NC and the tractor is made of plywood and plexiglass!

S.

 

[hcammack]

they should be fine in the tractor mine are out in maryland with wood and wire and just a heat lamp I do put plastic over when it gets blow frezzing they seem fine and they are only 3 months old.

Henry

 

[GREYHOUND]

:cdDon't laught when I tell you this. I had a client give us a chicken and we were leary because I had heard horror stories about extablished flocks(I don't have many-backyard very small chickens coops) Any way we took her home and put her in a dog crate for a while and I felt sorry for her and we let her be with the others but she was shunned and I felt really bad for her, she was below the bottom of the ring.Well anyway Doc said it wouldn't work and I told him we had no chocie or he was going to have to build her a private coop for her. I started putting on a cologne one scent for all. Within 5 days, they let her up on the roost with them and they've been together ever since. Could be a fluke who knows, but I do have 2 coops now.
Kitty in Tucson