Hendrika
Songster
This week something really cute happened.
I have been working to integrate the remaining hen of my old flock, Big Sis, to cohabitate with my new flock of young bantam Wyandottes. My main goal was for them to peacefully share the run. They both have separate coops where they sleep and have adjacent runs.
After a couple of weeks of seeing but not touching, i started mixing them in the runs during the day. First supervised, but soon they were just all together during the day. At night they returned to their own coops. They have been free ranging together as well. The bantams keep a respectful distance from huge Big Sis. They quickly step aside when she slowly marches along.
And this week, i heard some bickering at sunset, so went out to the run. Big Sis had decided to sleep in the bantam's coop. The tiny girls were quite intimidated, but eventually decided that they were not going to sleep outside. Big Sis kept her eyes closed. So...when I arrived they were all snugling up together going and have been sleeping together all nights. Integration complete! Here the picture i took of their first night. Big sis is on the left. ( I startled them a bit with my flash)
View attachment 2300855
I have been working to integrate the remaining hen of my old flock, Big Sis, to cohabitate with my new flock of young bantam Wyandottes. My main goal was for them to peacefully share the run. They both have separate coops where they sleep and have adjacent runs.
After a couple of weeks of seeing but not touching, i started mixing them in the runs during the day. First supervised, but soon they were just all together during the day. At night they returned to their own coops. They have been free ranging together as well. The bantams keep a respectful distance from huge Big Sis. They quickly step aside when she slowly marches along.
And this week, i heard some bickering at sunset, so went out to the run. Big Sis had decided to sleep in the bantam's coop. The tiny girls were quite intimidated, but eventually decided that they were not going to sleep outside. Big Sis kept her eyes closed. So...when I arrived they were all snugling up together going and have been sleeping together all nights. Integration complete! Here the picture i took of their first night. Big sis is on the left. ( I startled them a bit with my flash)
View attachment 2300855
